Pure Evil: Dusk
by Moodycat2
Summary: What if… Tigerclaw was well on his way to becoming leader when a kittypet joins ThunderClan. Tigerclaw has his suspicions. Odd things begin to happen and Tigerclaw is stuck in the middle. Tigerclaw is good. Brokenstar is desperate. Ravenpaw is bad. And Firestar, he's pure evil.
1. Chapter 1

The rabbit gave a shrill squeal, and went limp. Tigerclaw clutched it neatly in his jaws and raised his head triumphantly. His brown tabby coat glistened in the late moonlight as he dug a slight dip in the ground and carefully placed his catch inside. _A rabbit in ThunderClan territory! I must be the luckiest cat alive._

"Excellent catch, Tigerclaw!" The brown tabby turned his head to see Whitestorm padding up to him. The snowy cat's tail was kinked over his back in delight as the rest of the patrol: Redtail, Mousefur, and Tigerclaw's apprentice Ravenpaw, appeared. Mousefur has a large thrush, Redtail had a plump vole, and Whitestorm had a family of mice delicately held in his teeth.

"I hate dawn patrols!" Ravenpaw spat. Tigerclaw suspected he was sulking because of his lack of prey. "We should still be sleeping!"

"Let's head back," the deputy suggested, crimson tail wavering. He ignored Ravenpaw. "Bluestar will be-"

"Hold up," Mousefur growled, narrowing her eyes at the nearby bushes. Tigerclaw's breath caught in his throat. Very close by, at Sunningrocks, he guessed, there were cat scents- from RiverClan.

"RiverClan is taking over our territory!" He hissed. "Come on!" Mousefur, Redtail, and Whitestorm nodded eagerly. Tigerclaw turned to the one cat who hadn't spoken. "Ravenpaw?"

"Why should we risk our necks for water?" The small black cat mumbled, only just audible to Tigerclaw. "That's RiverClan's specialty, not ours."

"There are mice in the rock cracks," Mousefur retorted. "And mice are _our_ specialty, not theirs. Come on!"

Tigerclaw bounded through the brush without thinking twice or making sure Ravenpaw was following. He unsheathed his claws, ready for the anticipation of battle, when he stopped dead.

"Mousefur?" Redtail queried, turning towards the brown warrior. "Are you sure you scented RiverClan on our side?"

"Of course I did," she responded breezily. Tigerclaw narrowed his eyes.

"There's obviously no cats here," Ravenpaw loudly complained, stomping towards the bushes. Tigerclaw resisted the urge to tear his own ears off at how shrill his apprentice's voice was. "Let's head back before our prey is eaten by cro-"

"No, wait," Tigerclaw added, "I smell them too." Whitestorm leaned forward, listening. There was only the murmur of the river and the song in the reeds, but only RiverClan's stale scent remained.

"Tigerclaw is right," Redtail agreed, "but the scent is quite old."

"It might as well be a trap," Ravenpaw groaned, plopping down on his haunches. As if signal, The water gave a slight ripple, and sleek, water-drenched heads appeared. Tigerclaw saw Redtail open his mouth, but there was a screech from Mousefur and cats leapt up from the water, yowling.

Almost immediately, Tigerclaw was rolled off of his paws by a burly, reddish-brown tom. He flexed his claws and snagged his across the ear, splitting part of it down the middle. The tom hissed and staggered back. As he shook his head, Tigerclaw leapt at him and landed on top of him.

"Oakheart!" he realized, recognizing the RiverClan deputy from past Gatherings. "What reason does RiverClan have to hunt on our territory? Sunningrocks belong to us!"  
"Ha!" spat Oakheart, cutting off in a cough as Tigerclaw dug his claws deep into his chest. "You're outnumbered!"

More and more sleek cats were swarming from the river until they looked more like a pack of ants than cats. Tigerclaw felt a wave of exhaustion overwhelm him.

"RiverClan may be plentiful in cats, but they are no match for ThunderClan," Tigerclaw snapped. Oakheart only replied with a smug grin as a she-cat gave a shrill scream. _Mousefur!_ Tigerclaw groaned and released Oakheart without waiting for a reaction. The brown she-cat was pinned down by a skinny yet well-muscled tom, jaws eerily gleaming in the moonlight.

Tigerclaw leaped, claws catching on drenched fur. The tom rolled over with an angry yowl, and the two writhed on the stone ground.

"Run, Mousefur!" The brown tabby managed between swipes. He didn't see Mousefur's response, but in the next instance she was gone.

Suddenly Tigerclaw felt a stinging pain. The RiverClan tom leaned back, pleased. Tigerclaw curled his nose, only to feel the shocking realization that it had been sliced open. He snapped out, blinded by pain, and managed to grab his enemy's hind leg. He bit down until he was close to snapping the bone. The tom squealed, and Tigerclaw let go.

"We can never win!" came a thin wail from a Redtail. Tigerclaw turned around. For the first time ever, he saw the ThunderClan deputy looked defeated. His tortoiseshell fur was patchy and flaked with drying blood, and parts of his pelt were ripped off. His tail no longer looked the bright color it usually was.

"Of course we can!" Tigerclaw insisted, nearly wincing at the fake in his voice.

"Stop trying to convince yourself," Redtail scolded, tail drooping. "It's four warriors and an apprentice against a whole Clan. We have to-"

Before he could finish, a large shape bowled him over. Tigerclaw jumped in without a second thought. He recognized the split ear, still dappled with blood. _Oakheart, you pathetic fish._

The tabby warrior reached out with a claw to give Oakheart another scar to remember, when another cat hooked onto his pelt and pulled him away. Tigerclaw twisted around to face his attacker, when there came a loud rumble from a nearby, ancient stack of boulders. Both Tigerclaw and the RiverClan cat released and backed away, wide-eyed. Other cats stopped fighting as the rumbling grew and the rocks began to shake. Tigerclaw scanned the clearing quickly, trying to pick out his Clanmates. There were only three RiverClan cats left that Tigerclaw could see. Only Ravenpaw remained from ThunderClan, and was well into a fight with a pretty silver apprentice when he broke apart. Whitestorm and Mousefur had most likely been injured and had to retreat. That left…

Redtail! Tigerclaw caught sight of the scarlet-tailed deputy, still locked intensely with Oakheart in battle. They were so caught up in the fight, that they didn't notice the trembling rocks near them.

"Oakheart! Watch out!" warned a RiverClan she-cat. Either Oakheart didn't hear her or he didn't listen.

"Redtail!" Tigerclaw bellowed, darting forward. "The rocks! They're going to fall!" Redtail, startled, stumbled back at the last minute. Tigerclaw leapt towards him, but a shower of rocks fell in front of him and debris flew up into the air. Tigerclaw stumbled backward, coughing and shaking out his fur.

"Redtail?" he rasped. There was no reply. The deputies were both invisible beneath the rocks. Ravenpaw appeared Tigerclaw, his heart beating just as fast.

"Is he alive?" the apprentice whispered. A pebble rolled away and landed by Tigerclaw's paws. Beneath the rubble, a red paw hung limply.

"He might just be shocked," Tigerclaw replied. "Come on, let's dig him out." Ravenpaw didn't respond, but grimly nodded and began digging at the stones. The three remaining RiverClan warriors exchanged a glance and leaned over to do the same for Oakheart.

Soon they head cleared enough so that Redtail could be seen, back facing them, eyes closed. Tigerclaw grasped his scruff in his jaws and hauled him out. Bits of rock and debris fell from Redtail's mangled pelt as he was gently placed to the ground. Tigerclaw rolled him over with one paw and gently prodded him. There was no response.

"He's dead," Tigerclaw announced, his voice as hollow as an empty log. Ravenpaw bristled and took a step back. Tigerclaw closed his eyes and took a shuddering breath. _He's never seen death before._

He barely heard Ravenpaw intake a sharp breath and turn and flee. Delicately Tigerclaw grasped Redtail's scruff in his jaws and dragged him across Sunningrocks. He wasn't far into the forest when he heard the cries of RiverClan as they found Oakheart had met the same fate.

 _Oakheart is dead,_ Tigerclaw thought grimly. _But so is Redtail._


	2. Chapter 2

When he reached camp, Tigerclaw placed Redtail by the entrance and exhaled at the scent of his Clan rather than blood and death. Cats turned his way, gasping. Tigerclaw took a step back as Spottedleaf rushed forward, strange herbs in her mouth.

"What happened?"

Tigerclaw turned to see an old blueish gray she-cat pad up to him, tail-tip twitching. He dipped his head as Bluestar gave Redtail a respectful bow.

"Ravenpaw told me he had been killed in a rockfall," the ThunderClan leader went on. "Is this true?"  
"Yes. He died fighting Oakheart, who died as well," Tigerclaw confirmed, narrowing his eyes as a strange scent suddenly hit him. He knew that scent, one that he had despised since he was a young kit. "Bluestar, don't tell me kittypets are invading as well!"

"Oh, of course," Bluestar muttered. She cleared her throat and beckoned a ginger kit forward. "Remember the adventurous kittypet I was speaking of sunrises ago? He has now joined our ranks as Firepaw."

The bright red tom gave him a nod, but something in his stare was cold and uncomfortable. Tigerclaw resisted the urge the curl his lip in a snarl in annoyance. Graypaw had probably been bad-mouthing about him to Firepaw. Knowing Graypaw, it was likely. Dustpaw was whispering to Sandpaw, glaring at Firepaw, and Tigerclaw felt a surge of satisfaction.

"Dustpaw needs a new mentor!" Bluestar announced, clambering up Highrock. Tigerclaw couldn't help but notice how frail the old, wise leader was, and the unnatural hunger in Firepaw's eyes. _It's an apprentice ambition,_ he told himself. _We all have the phase of wanting to be leader._

Longtail stalked up to Tigerclaw as Dustpaw, Redtail's former apprentice, was given to Darkstripe. There was a fresh knick in Longtail's ear, still welling with blood.

"What happened to you?" Tigerclaw whispered, watching Darkstripe touch his nose to Dustpaw's. Although a close friend had died, he still looked pleased to receive his second apprentice. Longtail rolled his eyes.

"The kittypet attacked me," he growled, flicking his scarred ear. "Just flounced into camp, and Bluestar gave him an attack signal."  
Tigerclaw's ears flicked up in surprise. "Firepaw?" he echoed. Longtail gave an annoyed exhale and slouched over.

"I will now announce the new deputy," Bluestar bellowed. Her icy gaze swept the Clan, overlooking every warrior. Firepaw sat near the front, green eyes sparked with interest. Tigerclaw narrowed his eyes, and for a brief moment the apprentice met his gaze steadily. "I say these words over the body of Redtail, so that his spirit may hear and approve of my choice." The leader paused, then nodded at a thick-furred golden warrior. "Lionheart will be the new deputy of ThunderClan."

As his name was cheered, Tigerclaw felt a burst of pride for Lionheart and cheered his name loud as ever. He caught a glimpse of Firepaw, who was muttering the warrior's name like it disgusted him. _At least Graypaw is happy for Lionheart._

As the throng scattered, Darkstripe padded up to Tigerclaw. His small amber eyes were gleaming.

"I can't believe I got another apprentice!" he practically squealed. Longtail hit him with a paw.

"You were a great mentor," he insisted. "Don't act surprised." Darkstripe only grinned and nudged Longtail.

"What about your apprentice, Tigerclaw?" he asked, facing the tabby warrior. "He was in the attack, wasn't he?" Tigerclaw rolled his eyes.

"Oh yeah, I'm responsible for him," he responded dryly. "Because Ravenpaw absolutely loves me."  
"He'll warm up to you," Darkstripe insisted, pointing his nose towards the medicine cat's den. Longtail snorted.

"Not by hanging out with Firepaw and Graypaw, he won't," he hissed. "Graypaw despises all older warriors, and Firepaw's got a thing going with attacking other cats."

"You're biased," Tigerclaw mewed.

"You want to know how he got into the Clan?" Longtail hissed. "He attacked Graypaw."

"They're friends now," Darkstripe pointed out. The silver tabby tom huffed and wrapped his tail around his paws.

"I'm sure Firepaw and I will be best friends after he ripped my ear off," Longtail spat. "I'll be relaxing my wound, since Spottedleaf insists it isn't serious." He stood up, kinking his tail over his back, and padded away.

"That was very rude of Firepaw, to have Longtail take his collar off and not thank him," Darkstripe meowed, tone heavy in sarcasm. Tigerclaw gave a short laugh before excusing himself to the medicine cat's den.

"Spottedleaf," Tigerclaw meowed, nosing into the den. He coughed to hide how much he was faking his sympathy. "Is Ravenpaw going to be okay?"

Spottedleaf chuckled and glanced up from the apprentice. "Of course," she stated. "He just has a few minor scratches."  
"Great," Tigerclaw mustered. "I'll leave you be, then-"

"You going to the Gathering tonight?" she interrupted, sticking cobweb to a wound on Ravenpaw's flank.

"If Bluestar allows it," he purred teasingly. Spottedleaf laughed merrily. "Is Firepaw going?"

"She favors you, Tigerclaw," the medicine cat teased, "and I'm assuming. It will be Firepaw and Graypaw's first Gathering. Bluestar wouldn't dream of letting them miss it."

"Of course," Tigerclaw replied, forcing a smile. Then he backed out of the den, where a head slammed into his chest as soon as he turned around. Graypaw sprung back, spitting out strands of fur.

"Watch out," Tigerclaw warned, careful not to unsheathe his claws at how obnoxious the gray apprentice was being. Graypaw gave him a grin that seemed to have a glare hidden underneath. Meanwhile, Firepaw was staring absently in him.

"Is Ravenpaw awake?" he asked, ignoring Tigerclaw's statement. Tigerclaw's gaze sharpened.

"No," he growled. "And Spottedleaf wouldn't want you in her way anyway." Graypaw narrowed his eyes but said nothing.

"Come on, Firepaw," he meowed simply. "I'll show you your new den instead."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey there! This is the first story of mine here, though I've been reading fanfictions like this for about two years now. Thank you for reading, please tell me how I'm doing!**

 **~Quinn**

The full moon shone brightly and illuminated every spike of fur of Tigerclaw's pelt. Beside him, Lionheart padded forward. His head was raised in pride at his new status in the Clan. Firepaw and Graypaw were near the front, by Bluestar. Their heads were together as they murmured anxiously.

Ravenpaw had wanted to come, but Tigerclaw had insisted he stay in camp to rest. Ravenpaw, of course, had protested to the point where Tigerclaw wanted to tear his own ears off.

Tigerclaw bristled as another pelt brushed up against his own, then forced his fur flat as he recognized Longtail's silver pelt.

"Did Darkstripe stay behind?" the large tabby pondered. As Longtail began to nod, Bluestar bolted past them, her blue-gray fur silver in the moonlight. She bounded to the top of the rock and sat next to Tallstar. The black and white leader gave her a curt nod.

"Bluestar's looking younger," Longtail commented dryly. Tigerclaw laughed heartily, but realized Longtail was right. The leader was in light conversation with Crookedstar, and her ice-blue eyes twinkled in amusement. Perhaps Firepaw had truly helped the Clan. Tigerclaw shrugged and snuck a glance at the ginger tom, who was perched next to Graypaw. Maybe he needed to stop jumping to conclusions about ThunderClan's newest addition.

"Where's ShadowClan?" Longtail queried, leaning towards Tigerclaw. The brown tabby shrugged. Ever since Brokenstar, the new leader, had been appointed, ShadowClan had acted a bit strange. They showed up late to Gatherings nearly every full moon, their border scents had grown stale, and hardly any patrols had been spotted. Not that ThunderClan was complaining, of course. Any peace, even odd peace, was worth keeping.

"There they are!" Tallstar bellowed, rising to his paws. Though many heads turned, every cat knew what he was talking about. A broad brown tom emerged from the underbrush, yellow eyes narrowed. Behind him, the rest of ShadowClan warily followed. They walked as if they were being followed, slinking along mysteriously. _But maybe they're just used to being under so many pine trees that the clearing doesn't appease them,_ Tigerclaw thought as they wove through the crowd.

Blackfoot, the large white deputy, caught sight of Firepaw immediately. He cast him a surprised glance as he nearly tripped over the orange apprentice before swinging his head to Brokenstar. He spoke in a rapid whisper, and Brokenstar's eyes widened ever so slightly. The ShadowClan leader ambled up to the rock, while Blackfoot sat below, greeting the other deputies with his gaze still on Firepaw.

"Did you see that?" Tigerclaw hissed, nudging Longtail with his shoulder.

"See what?" Longtail mused, obviously not paying a lick of attention to ShadowClan's bizarre reaction of Firepaw. Tigerclaw hissed, but he was cut off by Tallstar's meow.

"Let the Gathering begin!" he bellowed. "RiverClan, would you like to go first?"

Crookedstar nodded courteously and rose to his paws. "RiverClan is thriving," he began. "We have one new apprentice, Silverpaw." Tigerclaw snuck a glance at the RiverClan cats, narrowing his eyes at the sleek fur and rounded belly of the nearest tom. He saw Silverpaw beaming as her name was called and immediately recognized her from the battle.

 _Thriving_ wasn't a smart choice of words for Crookedstar; many of ThunderClan's cats bristled at the stinging reminder of Redtail's death. Crookedstar held up a paw to silence the mews of protest. "We also lost our beloved deputy Oakheart recently, and Leopardfur has been appointed in his place. During the battle it was unclear-"  
"Sunningrocks belong to ThunderClan," Bluestar interrupted coldly. Crookedstar gave her a baffled glance.

"Well since the winner of the battle was unclear-"  
"Sunningrocks belonged to ThunderClan before you attacked us out of the blue," the gray she-cat meowed icily. "And since the winner was unclear, nothing has changed."

Crookedstar growled softly before stepping back. Wisely, Tallstar stepped forward.

"WindClan has had a litter of kits in the past moon," he announced, beaming as if he was imagining the kits in front of him. "We have had no quarrels with other Clans," he added, casting a sidelong glance at Crookedstar. Bluestar looked at him, boring her icy gaze into his fur, before deciding he was finished.

"ThunderClan has also flourished," she began carefully. Tigerclaw sucked on his breath as he noticed Brokenstar's gaze round in interest. "Like RiverClan, we have lost a deputy, Redtail. Lionheart is the new deputy of ThunderClan."

Lionheart nodded as his name was chanted. Tigerclaw was surprised at how many cats outside of ThunderClan cheered for him; he was a popular cat.

"We also have two new apprentices, Graypaw and Firepaw," Bluestar went on smoothly. As the apprentices got a polite chant, Brokenstar went rigid. Below him, Tigerclaw saw Yellowfang and Runningnose, the two ShadowClan medicine cats, put their heads together in a murmur. Bluestar dipped her head and stepped back. "That is all."  
Brokenstar rose to his paws, still looking astonished. "ShadowClan is doing well," he said simply. "Badgerpaw has become an apprentice, and Flintfang is his mentor."

Tigerclaw chanted Badgerpaw's name in amusement as the large, black and white apprentice grinned.

"Six moons felt like forever!" he exclaimed to his mentor, a gray tom, who laughed gently.

"So tell me, Bluestar," Brokenstar went on, sitting down and wrapping his odd tail around his paws. "How come my Clan smelt a hint of kittypet mingled with your Clan on our way in?"  
Bluestar sniffed. "That's none of your business."  
Brokenstar grinned, flashing crooked yellow teeth. "I think it is."

"Maybe he didn't get his name from his tail," Longtail muttered, flicking his tail at Brokenstar's smile.

"Firepaw was invited to join our ranks, as he showed extreme potential," Bluestar defended. Firepaw raised his muzzle in prominence. Bluestar tipped her head to the side. "Coming from a cat with kittypet ancestry, I'm surprised at you, Brokenstar."  
Brokenstar reeled back. "You only know rumors," he hissed. "The Gathering is over."  
Cats broke apart from the throng and loud talking broke out the minute Brokenstar spoke. Tigerclaw wove through the crowd, trying to find someone from his own Clan when one pelt stood out from the rest.

Tigerclaw narrowed his eyes at the bright orange fur. Firepaw was deep in conversation with a ShadowClan tom. Both of them had their head low, and though Firepaw's emerald eyes were large, something sinister sparkled beneath them. Tigerclaw felt a prickle of unease run down his spine. Was Firepaw really worthy of ThunderClan's trust?  
"Longtail," he snapped, prodding his friend with a paw. Longtail hissed and stumbled away from a pretty WindClan she-cat, who giggled at him.

"What?" Longtail hissed, jerking his head at the she-cat. "I'm busy!" Tigerclaw jabbed his tail in Firepaw's direction.

"Are you not seeing this?" he growled. Longtail's eyes flashed with confusion.

"What am I looking at?" he meowed. Tigerclaw whipped his head around, but to his amazement, Firepaw had turned back around and was laughing at something with Graypaw.

Longtail shook his head. "I know you don't like him, but this is getting out of paw," he muttered.

"But he-" Tigerclaw trailed off as Longtail turned around. Tigerclaw looked helplessly back at Firepaw, who was looking straight at him.

And he smirked.

Tigerclaw stomped away, cursing under his breath as Bluestar began to call ThunderClan together. Was he going crazy? Maybe. But something about Firepaw wasn't right, and he was going to prove it until his last breath stopped him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for the kind reviews! I'll try to post a chapter a day. Also, sorry if the plot seems to be progressing too quickly, I'm going to fit the entire first series into this.**

"Tigerclaw, Lionheart, do you know why I've called you in here?"  
Tigerclaw watched through the darkness of the den as Bluestar twisted over, exposing her belly in a long stretch.

"I have no idea," Tigerclaw admitted. His voice bounced off of the cave walls as rain pattered gently outside.

A day had passed, but Tigerclaw's suspicions never wavered. Longtail and Darkstripe weren't fond of Firepaw, but if Longtail didn't think Firepaw was sketchy, no cat would. Tigerclaw jutted out his chin. _And that's why I've got to prove it to Bluestar._

"Firepaw still needs a mentor," Bluestar went on after a long moment of silence. Lionheart and Tigerclaw exchanged a glance, and Lionheart reflected the large warrior's confusion perfectly.

"But both of us already have apprentices," Lionheart pointed out modestly.

"Exactly." Bluestar rose to her paws and kinked her tail over her back. "For the time being, it's best that the three apprentices train together. I want both of you to watch Firepaw carefully."  
 _Believe me, I already am,_ Tigerclaw thought sourly. His fur prickled, and he hoped Bluestar hadn't noticed.

"Once and if he proves worthy, I will mentor him myself," the leader went on. Her head tipped to the side, and Tigerclaw flushed. _She noticed._

"Can't Whitestorm and Darkstripe mentor him instead?" Tigerclaw's voice hinted at a plea. He wasn't looking forward to training with Ravenpaw in the first place, much less Graypaw and Firepaw.

"Darkstripe is busy catching up on what Dustpaw has learned from Redtail," Bluestar replied, voice suddenly growing solemn. "And since Graypaw was only just apprenticed a few sunrises ago, his skill should match Firepaw's, to an extent."  
"Ravenpaw and Dustpaw are brothers."  
"Tigerclaw." This time Lionheart spoke. His eyes were twinkling. "I think Firepaw will be fine with us."

"There was something about how ShadowClan acted towards him, like he was-"  
"Tigerclaw, if you can't be reasonable, then maybe you're not worthy of an apprentice at all," Bluestar interrupted. Tigerclaw bit back a retort. _Ravenpaw doesn't think_ I'm _worthy of_ him.

Tigerclaw could only dip his head. "Very well," he muttered. He turned to Lionheart and tried to hide his scowl. "Let's go fetch our apprentice."

The training hollow was quiet, which Tigerclaw was thankful for. Lionheart padded beside him in silence, and behind him, the three apprentices stuck their heads together in a murmur.

"Let's begin," Tigerclaw announced, startling Ravenpaw. The black apprentice shot him a glare before huffing and sitting down. "First things first, you two are going to going to learn what is essential for being a ThunderClan warrior."

"I've already had this talk," Ravenpaw exclaimed. He was practically shooting daggers at Tigerclaw. The big warrior merely shrugged.

"If you'd like to file a complaint to Bluestar, it's not worth it," he replied. "Trust me. I tried."

Firepaw's eyes narrowed, and Graypaw slouched over.

"You can't fight battles unless you learn the purpose behind them," Lionheart meowed.

"You can if you learn to fight," Firepaw pointed out. Tigerclaw faked a smile.

"Kittypets are deemed useless in the Clans," Lionheart began. "Firepaw is an exception, of course." Firepaw looked straight at Tigerclaw as the deputy spoke, and Tigerclaw forced himself to stare at his paws. "When you learn hard to learn the way of the warrior, anyone can become one."  
"I'm assuming you know of the Clans after last night's Gathering," Tigerclaw added. "WindClan are scrawny and don't do much to harm us. They are more likely to be our allies than enemies."

"RiverClan tries to take Sunningrocks from us time to time, but they tend to stay on our good side, too," Lionheart went on.  
"They like to swim and eat fish," Graypaw whispered to Firepaw, making a disgusted face.

"And the last Clan is ShadowClan. They lurk in the shadows, and are not to be trusted," Tigerclaw finished, giving Firepaw a sharp glare.

"I met a ShadowClan tom at the Gathering," the ginger apprentice commented. Tigerclaw's eyebrows raised.

"Oh?"  
"He told me I had great potential," Firepaw went on. "They were nice."

Lionheart looked at Tigerclaw. "That's wonderful," he replied, though doubt was strong in his voice. Tigerclaw inwardly grinned. Finally, someone else thought Firepaw was odd.

After what felt like ages of explaining, and training, Bluestar finally took over Firepaw's training. A few moons had passed, but to Tigerclaw, it felt like season-cycles. He was so exhausted in the past few days that he didn't even eat, he just plopped down by the warrior's den. Like he was doing now.

"What's up?" Tigerclaw's ears pricked as Goldenflower made her way over to him. The pretty she-cat had just recently broken up with her mate, so soon after giving birth to her son, Swiftkit.

"Training," he huffed. He scanned the camp for the apprentices, but only Sandpaw and Graypaw were visible. Goldenflower laughed lightly.

"Ravenpaw can be a pawful. I should know, I knew him when he was a kit!" she exclaimed.

"Lionheart and I finally done with Firepaw, too," Tigerclaw went on. He rolled his eyes, though he felt himself smiling at Goldenflower's wide and interested eyes.

"I haven't even seen Firepaw or Ravenpaw lately!" she replied, shaking her head. "They must have a lot of energy after that session. They haven't been back to camp since."  
Tigerclaw suddenly felt his belly lurch. "They're not in the apprentice's den?"

Goldenflower shook her head as Tigerclaw leapt to his paws.

"I, uh, gotta go find them," he announced. "They don't know the territory!"  
With that, he bolted off with his tail waving goodbye to the golden she-cat. He felt his legs burn as he scrounged the territory with no avail. He stopped at a dead end with a scowl. _They couldn't have gone far!_

His stomach twisted with worry as he caught a bit of scent. He stood rigid as he recognized a small, delicate pawprint. That was Ravenpaw, no questions asked. And it was leading straight towards ShadowClan territory.

Tigerclaw trekked further on, this time carefully. ShadowClan scent grew clearer and clearer until he was drenched in the musk of pine and darkness.

"Ravenpaw!" he called in a whisper. His head swung around for any scent of the black cat, but only his footprints were to be seen. "You're not supposed to be here!"  
A thundering of paws broke Tigerclaw's thoughts. He glanced up, hoping it was just Ravenpaw and Firepaw returning from a hunt, but through the shade of the evergreens, he could see a herd of ShadowClan cats storming towards his hiding spot in a bush. Tigerclaw's eyes widened as they didn't stop to mark or even waver in hesitation.

No, they crossed the border with ease and were too distracted to notice Tigerclaw's simple hiding spot. The ShadowClan patrol disappeared from view, and Tigerclaw was too stunned to process what had just happened. Then every fur raised along his spine.

 _They're attacking ThunderClan!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Two chapters today because I like this one :)**

Tigerclaw bounded back to camp, feeling his heart race alongside his paws. So many questions flooded his mind that he nearly lost track of them: were Firepaw and Ravenpaw speaking to ShadowClan? And if so, what about? And why in _StarClan_ were they attacking unprovoked?

Tigerclaw reached camp after what felt like ages and passed the trampled barrier with ease. To his surprise, there was no screeching or fighting. Instead, the ShadowClan cats were merely posed beneath Highrock, glaring up defiantly. Bluestar was halfway across the rock, giving the intruders baffled glances.

"Why have you entered ThunderClan territory?" the leader growled, though curiosity tugged at her voice. Tigerclaw could make out familiar faces from the ShadowClan patrol: Brokenstar was near the front, looking almost undersized compared to Blackfoot. He could make out Russetfur, a ginger she-cat, but the others remained unfamiliar.

"ShadowClan is not doing as well as we could be," Brokenstar began. Tigerclaw exchanged a baffled glance with Goldenflower, who appeared beside him. _What kind of leader admits that in front of an enemy Clan?_

Bluestar's tail-tip flicked. "I've noticed."

Brokenstar wasn't done. "Times have not been easy for us. After WindClan took some of our territory, we've suffered. We just recovered from a greencough bout - at least, the survivors did." Brokenstar dipped his head in an unusually polite gesture. "We are low on cats and hope."  
"Are you asking for land?" Bluestar pressed. Her eyes narrowed. A rustling came from the entrance, and every cat was so on edge that hardly anyone noticed. Tigerclaw was an exception, of course. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Firepaw and Ravenpaw sneak into camp, bodies low to the ground. The fur rose along the large tabby's spine. _What were they up to?_

"Not exactly." Brokenstar's chin raised in prominence. "We are asking for a cat."  
At his words, uproars of protests exploded among ThunderClan. Goldenflower leapt to her paws, and Tigerclaw's ears flipped up. Russetfur curled her lip in a snarl, displeased at the responses. Even Bluestar's surprise was evident.

"You have queens, do you not?" she asked. Brokenstar took in a trembling breath.

"Not at this time, no," he admitted quietly. Tigerclaw's eyes narrowed. Something was _off_ about the leader. Sure, he had only recently gained nine lives after Raggedstar passed of old age, but he had been much more ambitious as a deputy. Not… cowardly. Tigerclaw shook his head. _Their bout of greencough must have really been terrible._

"However, the cat we are looking at is no random ThunderClanner," Brokenstar went on. A murmur broke out among the cats, each of them looking at each other, wondering who this special cat could be. But Tigerclaw had a dreading feeling that he knew exactly who Brokenstar was talking about.

"Care to elucidate?" Bluestar growled. Her voice dripped with sarcasm. _She's not planning on giving up anyone, not even the elders._ Brokenstar exhaled deeply.

"That tom," he meowed, pointed his crooked tail through the crowd. "That one right there. Firepaw."  
Meows of outrage followed his confession. Tigerclaw couldn't say he was shocked at ThunderClan's reactions. Firepaw had truly grown in the ranks and popularity of ThunderClan in the past few moons, and was close to warriorhood. Tigerclaw turned to face Firepaw. The apprentice looked doe-eyed with shock, but he leaned forward with interest.

"Firepaw belongs to ThunderClan, as do all the other cats," Bluestar defended.

"But he rightfully belongs to ShadowClan!" Brokenstar protested, almost in a whine. "Your Clan was fine before you let him join. My Clan is suffering! One extra cat isn't going to help you. But to us, he means everything." The brown leader finished in a whisper. Only then did Tigerclaw realize how desperate and serious he was.

"If you want a kittypet, then you can get your own," Bluestar replied, causing a few chortles from the crowd. Brokenstar's lip curled in a snarl.

"You want the whole story?" he hissed. "Fine."  
Bluestar shrugged and sat down, wrapping her long tail neatly around her paws.

"Five moons ago, when our Clan was at its lowest point, Yellowfang and Runningnose received a prophecy," Brokenstar explained in a low voice. "It was a shooting star. Yellowfang interpreted it as 'Fire alone can save our Clan.' The next day, at the Gathering, I saw your new apprentice. You named him Firepaw. How much more do I have to explain?" Brokenstar was kneading the ground now, claws unsheathed against the dirt floor. Firepaw looked stunned, but, as always, interest sparked in his eyes at being part of a prophecy. Bluestar's eyebrows were raised in interest, but her expression remained grim.

"You could be lying," she pointed out. That was enough for Brokenstar. He leapt to his paws, claws unsheathed. His patrol did the same, tails lashing. Tigerclaw saw Goldenflower's eyes widen.

"They're serious," he muttered to her. Goldenflower gave a stunned huff in response.

"You can believe that," Brokenstar spat, leering closer to Highrock. "You can believe anything you want. But we need that apprentice if we want to keep four Clans in the forest, like you're always preaching."

"I don't care what StarClan told you," Bluestar snarled. Her hackles began to raise. Even she was losing patience. "You can't take our cats."

"I don't care what you think is going to happen," Brokenstar snarled. The tension was almost palpable now; Tigerclaw felt his claws unsheathe against the dusty ground in unease. "We're going to have him, whether you like it or not. We are dying, and you're going to ignore that? We will start a war to find the answer to our prophecy. So," he finished, leaning back smugly, "if you wish to keep our peace, then hand him over."  
Bluestar's claws unsheathed. "Never. Firepaw has proved his loyalty to ThunderClan over and over again."

Brokenstar shrugged. "Suit yourself. But until the day he steps paw in our camp as a ShadowClan cat, we will fight. Now get down here and fight me like a real leader."

With that, Bluestar let out a ghostly battle cry. She flung herself from Highrock, claws poised at Brokenstar's head, and landed on top of him. Tigerclaw's view was blocked from countless cats leaping at one another on the signal. He bounded into the midst of battle, swinging his head around for an opponent.

And then he realized there was some truth to Brokenstar's words. Many of the ShadowClan cats were being double-teamed, some even fighting three cats at once. Not even half of ShadowClan showed up, and Tigerclaw felt a chill run down his spine. Even the energy that the ShadowClan cats fought with couldn't cover up their painfully visible ribs and weak physiques. _Maybe they need Firepaw more than we can image._

Tigerclaw stumbled away as a claw lashed out and struck his cheek. He could make out Bluestar's lean gray shape in the midst of battle. She was beating Brokenstar badly, but the ShadowClan cat put up a strong fight.

"How long are you planning on harassing my Clan?" Bluestar hissed between blows. Brokenstar paused to spit out a mouthful of blood.

"Depends," he rasped. "How long are you planning on housing my prophecy?"

"He's not yours!" Bluestar yowled. Her claws raked down Brokenstar's belly, and blood began to well from his underside as he scrambled away, coughing.

"You're risking your lives for a tom that you know is impossible to get," Bluestar taunted, stalking towards him. "Why don't you be the leader in the situation and take care of your Clan? Instead of relying on a stranger to?"  
"He's a prophecy," Brokenstar corrected, "not a stranger. And you're going to keep losing cats until he comes true."

Bluestar's gaze flickered with confusion, but it passed quickly. "What do you mean by that?"  
Brokenstar twisted his mouth into a wry smile. "See for yourself," he hissed. Tigerclaw followed Bluestar's stunned glare. Blackfoot was taking on Lionheart himself. The other ShadowClan cats surrounded them, fighting off any ThunderClan cats attempting to help Lionheart. Then, as if Brokenstar's words were signal, Blackfoot leapt up, claws unsheathed, and sliced Lionheart's belly from chest to tail. He landed on his paws neatly and stepped back as Lionheart crumpled to the ground, withering in pain. In only moments, his struggles turned to an icy silence.

"No!" Frostfur's piercing screech echoed from the nursery. Tigerclaw felt his stomach drop to his paws. Blackfoot stepped back coldly, and the ShadowClan cats did the same, gathering back around Brokenstar.

"You think we are weak," Brokenstar growled at Bluestar. "And maybe some of that is true. But we will fight - and we will win - until Firepaw belongs to us."  
"Real warriors don't kill to win," Bluestar whispered. Her voice broke and her eyes did not leave Lionheart's still body. Brokenstar's lip curled in a taunting snarl.

"Real warriors don't watch the other Clans suffer," he mocked. Then he jerked his head, and the ShadowClan cats began to leave in a silent parade.

"If you ever change your mind, we'll always be here," Russetfur called over her shoulder as they began to disappear through the barrier.

Bluestar's eyes narrowed, and she met the ginger she-cat's gaze steadily. "As will we," she replied coldly.


	6. Chapter 6

ThunderClan stood in a shocked silence as ShadowClan left. Tigerclaw wanted to peel his stare away from Lionheart, but he simply couldn't. Something shattered inside of him. Lionheart had only just become the deputy a few moons ago. He was so proud. Tigerclaw remembered growing up with him, playing with him outside the apprentice's den. And now all of that was gone.

"Runningwind, Willowpelt." Bluestar's voice. She had regained herself, though barely, as she called out two cats. "Track down ShadowClan. Make sure they left ThunderClan territory for good." Runningwind nodded importantly, though Willowpelt gave a bemoaning glance at Lionheart's still body before turning to leave.

"We need a new deputy," Mousefur called out from the back of the crowd. Tigerclaw saw Firepaw's ears prick, and Ravenpaw lean over to him in a whisper. He briefly wondered where Graypaw was before he saw the small gray tom leaned over the still body of his mentor, sobbing quietly.

"Yes, of course," Bluestar murmured. She raised her head, gaze sweeping the Clan. It was almost as if Lionheart had never died, and ShadowClan never threatened her Clan. "I say these words over the body of Lionheart." Then her gaze reached Tigerclaw's, and something sparked in her glassy blue eyes. "Tigerclaw will be the new deputy of ThunderClan."  
Tigerclaw felt like his paws were going to buckle underneath of him at any moment. He padded up to the Highrock, tingling as he walked. He dipped his head as he approached Bluestar, who returned the nod. Many of the cats chanted his name - the grieving and Firepaw were an exception - but Tigerclaw could let that go.

"Three apprentices also stood out during the battle today," Bluestar went on. The tiniest smirk reached her lips. "Graypaw, Ravenpaw, and Firepaw, will you step forward?"  
"Ravenpaw?" Tigerclaw hissed, then realized he was not the only one to speak. Dustpaw pushed to the front of the crowd, jaw dropped as his brother hopped up to the Highrock. Firepaw followed, head raised in pride, and Tigerclaw couldn't help curling his lip.

"I, Bluestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices," Bluestar announced as the three cats sat below her. "They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn."

She paused and smiled before going on. "Mentors, are these apprentices ready for warriorship?"

"He is," Tigerclaw murmured, nodding. He gritted his teeth as he spoke. Sure, Ravenpaw was ready, but Tigerclaw wasn't exactly thrilled.

"As is Firepaw," Bluestar added. "And I speak on behalf of Lionheart when I say that Graypaw is ready to be a warrior."

Graypaw's head drooped at the reminder that his mentor was dead, but his eyes still sparkled at the thought of becoming a warrior.

"Firepaw, Graypaw, Ravenpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" the leader asked. The three apprentices raised their heads.

"I do," they echoed simultaneously. Dustpaw mouthed the words mockingly, and Tigerclaw couldn't help a smile.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Graypaw, from this moment on you will be known as Graystripe. StarClan honors your bravery and strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Newly named Graystripe stepped back as the Clan chanted his name, and even Tigerclaw found himself cheering for the young warrior.

"Ravenpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Ravenflight. StarClan honors your loyalty and spirit, and you are welcomed as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Ravenflight stepped back to join Graystripe, both of them giving each other a quick congratulations before the attention turned to the final apprentice.

"And last but certainly not least, Firepaw." Bluestar's gaze filled with warmth, and the orange tom returned her grin. "From this moment on, you will be known as Fireheart. StarClan honors your strength and bravery, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Tigerclaw stepped aside as the cheering began. Fireheart, Ravenflight, and Graystripe all looked terribly proud, even Ravenflight.

"Your vigils will start at dusk," Bluestar concluded. "That is all." The Clan began to disperse and Bluestar headed back to her den. Tigerclaw snuck one last glance at Fireheart's smug figure before following the gray leader.

"Bluestar?" he called. His whiskers quivered against the cold stone walls. Bluestar's ears pricked and she sat down, drawing a paw over her ear.

"Yes, Tigerclaw?" she mused. Though her voice was calm, her eyes betrayed how truly upset she was to lose Lionheart. Tigerclaw dipped his head.

"Well, I was thinking, after what ShadowClan said, maybe it's better that we hand over Firepaw-er, heart," he corrected. Bluestar's eyes slitted.

"Never," she hissed. "They're not going to win, and they're certainly not going to take any of our cats."  
"But they already have!" Tigerclaw exclaimed. "Lionheart is dead. How many other cats are going to die for a kittypet?"  
"He's not a kittypet!" Bluestar growled, leaning in towards Tigerclaw angrily.

"He's more kittypet than you and I!" Tigerclaw scoffed. "Is he really worth all of this? What if I die? What if you die? What if Whitestorm dies?"

Tigerclaw knew he had hit a soft spot. Bluestar reeled back, eyes suddenly softening. "Get out of my den," she murmured, turning around. Tigerclaw dipped his head, assuming she was still grieving, and left empty-pawed.

A moon passed. Tigerclaw felt the time fly by, even though so much had happened.

ShadowClan was still on edge, but they had not attacked since Lionheart's death. His kits, however, had just recently been apprenticed: Thornpaw to Ravenflight, Cinderpaw to Fireheart, Brackenpaw to Graystripe, and Brightpaw to Whitestorm. Fireheart still seemed close to ShadowClan, and seemed to even be pushing his friends away. Tigerclaw was even more determined than ever to prove Fireheart's "loyalty."  
Tigerclaw's ears pricked. He was strewn across camp beside Goldenflower. For being at supposed war with ShadowClan, ThunderClan was as laid back as ever. Fireheart had just crept around behind the medicine cat's den, followed by Ravenflight, who looked over his shoulder warily. Tigerclaw grinned slightly, pleased at the golden opportunity. He bid Goldenflower a polite farewell before slinking off in the two young warriors' direction. He peeked around the corner, cursing his broad head and shoulders, and caught a glimpse of Fireheart's orange fur before shrinking back. Fireheart and Ravenflight were in rapid conversation.

"Has anyone else found out about... " Ravenflight paused, then jerked his head towards the camp borders. "... about _him_?"

Fireheart sighed deeply, and his fur rustled in the light wind. "Only me and you," he concluded finally. "And I'd like to keep it this way."  
Ravenflight flicked his tail in annoyance, then leaned in closer. Tigerclaw nearly fell from leaning in before he caught himself and regained his posture.

"Is he there now?" The black tom murmured. His whiskers quivered in anticipation. Fireheart sighed deeply.

"I assume," he replied. "Down by Sunningrocks."

Tigerclaw whipped his head back around before Ravenflight and Fireheart could catch him. He grinned to himself; finally he had some proof to tell Bluestar.

"Bluestar!" he bellowed upon entering her den. The blue-gray leader was half-asleep. Only the prickling of her ears showed she was awake. She gaped her jaws in a wide yawn.

"Yes, Tigerclaw?" she murmured groggily. "Is this something that can wait?"  
Tigerclaw shook his head furiously. "It's urgent," he replied. He stepped out of the way of the entrance, letting light filter onto Bluestar's fur. As the sunlight hit her, Tigerclaw realized the stress of ShadowClan's threat was taking its toll. She looked so much older, but her sparkling eyes showed otherwise.

"Where are we going?" she asked quietly, kinking her tail over her back.

"RiverClan border," Tigerclaw muttered. Fireheart and Ravenflight were still behind the medicine den, proving by Ravenflight's tail flicking crossly in and out of view. He and Bluestar left camp without word or announcement, much to Tigerclaw's relief. And he was so caught up on proving himself right that he didn't even notice who was missing.

"So what's down here that you're so intent on showing me?" Bluestar asked mischievously. The pair were trotting down the slope in silence, and the tangy smell of fish slowly became stronger.

"Well, if my guess is right," Tigerclaw muttered, hope fluttering in his belly, "It's that ShadowClan has…" he trailed off dramatically. ThunderClan scent mixed with RiverClan was stronger. Behind a bush, it reeked. Bluestar narrowed her eyes.

Tigerclaw unsheathed his claws and swung the branches aside dramatically. He closed his eyes and grinned as Bluestar gasped. Finally, he could prove that Fireheart was housing ShadowClan cats, and -

" _Graystripe_?"  
Tigerclaw opened his eyes in shock at Bluestar's meow. He hoped she was kidding, but Graystripe was sitting on Sunningrocks, appalled and intertwined with a cat Tigerclaw didn't recognize.

"Bluestar, I can explain," Graystripe stuttered, scrambling to his paws. The RiverClan warrior stepped back, looking from Graystripe to Tigerclaw to Bluestar. Bluestar's tail lashed angrily.

"No, you can't," she snapped. Tigerclaw's eyes widened slightly at how angry she was. Sure, Graystripe was definitely having an affair with a RiverClan cat - but something told Tigerclaw Bluestar had seen something like this before. Bluestar's gaze flickered to the she-cat angrily. "Who is this?"

Graystripe licked his rumpled chest fur in embarrassment. "This is Silverstream," he muttered. Silverstream gave a wary nod to the ThunderClan cats. Tigerclaw briefly remembered her name being called at a Gathering, many moons ago. _Silverpaw._

Bluestar took in a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut. "You know this is against the warrior code, no?"  
Graystripe hung his head. "Yes, Bluestar," he muttered. He paused thoughtfully, gazing back at Silverstream. "But I love her."  
Bluestar looked at her paws. "I'll give you a deal," she whispered. Tigerclaw wondered how she was being so compassionate; the other leaders would have exiled him on the spot. "I won't tell Crookedstar about this - or any other cat, for that matter - provided you never meet Silverstream again."

Graystripe's mouth hung agape ever so slightly. He squeezed his eyes closed, and when he reopened them, Tigerclaw could see his pain visibly shining. Silverstream rose to her paws and padded towards him, gently nuzzling her cheek against his.

"Graystripe," she whispered. She gave Bluestar a respectful nod. "I don't want to lose you. But I don't want ThunderClan to lose you either."

Graystripe nodded sadly. He turned to Bluestar, jutting out his chin. "Let me say goodbye," he meowed. His voice broke.

Bluestar sighed before turning around, flicking her tail on Tigerclaw's spine. It was clear she wanted Graystripe and Silverstream to be alone.

"That was kind of you, to give them a goodbye," he admitted politely. Bluestar shrugged and turned away. Tigerclaw wished he knew what she was thinking. Her behavior seemed so sensitive towards the couple, and yet…

"I know," she sighed, trotting ahead. She shook her head, as if to clear horrible memories. Then she turned back to Tigerclaw. "So what were you saying about ShadowClan?"

 **A late chapter today, but still a chapter I guess.** **Ugh,** **that felt super rushed. But there wasn't anything between the trio becoming warriors and Graysilver to put in without the story getting boring, so I kind of had a time skip.** **As always thank you for the reviews!**


	7. Chapter 7

**In reply to Mistress1296, only two of the trio will. I guess I should haven made it clear who has changed. Tigerclaw is now good, Fireheart is now evil, Ravenpaw(flight) is evil, Darkstripe is good, and Brokenstar is kind of neutral? Like he never killed Raggedstar or the kits or exiled Yellowfang, but he isn't good either. That's all that I've changed! :D**

Graystripe returned to camp a short while later, head down. Tigerclaw didn't blame him, but then again, he had broken the code. Immediately, the gray warrior had met up with Fireheart and Ravenflight, most likely telling them the news.

Although Tigerclaw had been thanked by Bluestar, he was back on square one with no proof of Fireheart's disloyalty.

"What's up?" Darkstripe meowed, plopping next to Tigerclaw and drawing his tongue over his paw. Tigerclaw sighed.

"Nothing," he muttered. "Why?"  
Darkstripe looked doubtful. "I see you looking at them," he revealed, flicking an ear at the trio. "You still set on Fireheart leaving?"

"It's useless, going into war for him," Tigerclaw growled. "Admit it, you'd rather live without him."

Darkstripe shrugged. "I wouldn't mind," he admitted. Tigerclaw scoffed.

"Longtail's indifferent."  
"Well, that's just Longtail being Longtail."

Tigerclaw grunted and rolled over onto his back. He felt Darkstripe do the same, and felt the piercing amber stare land on his cheek. "Maybe you should let it go," Darkstripe mused. "There's so much you're missing when you're caught up like this. Like, Goldenflower, she's all over you, dude."  
"Really?" Tigerclaw whispered, eyes widening at the thought of the golden she-cat. Sure they'd been friends for a long time - but Tigerclaw had no idea she was over her old mate. After all, Swiftpaw had only recently been apprenticed. Darkstripe laughed roughly.

"In my defense, I've had nothing else to do since I no longer have an apprentice," Tigerclaw defended. He rolled his eyes at the thought of Ravenflight. "Which, I'm not complaining about."

"You're the deputy," Darkstripe pointed out. "Perhaps you could focus on that."

"Well, I-"

Tigerclaw was cut off as Spottedleaf's head appeared above his, grinning. He blinked up affectionately. "Can I help you?"

"I need help collecting tansy," she announced. "I found this huge patch. It should help Bluestar's cough immensely." Tigerclaw grunted and rolled onto his paws.

"I mean, if you don't mind," Spottedleaf went on, tipping her head to the side. "You're not busy, are you?"

Tigerclaw shook his head. Maybe collecting herbs would ease his mind, and more importantly, keep him away from Fireheart.

"Hey, are you guys collecting herbs?" Tigerclaw and Spottedleaf spun around - and Darkstripe turned his ear lazily - as a voice piped up from behind Spottedleaf's back. Cinderpaw's blue eyes were round. "Can I come?"  
Tigerclaw and Spottedleaf exchanged an amused glance. "Where's your mentor?" Spottedleaf purred. "Shouldn't he be training with you?"  
Cinderpaw shook her head. "He's outside camp somewhere. Told me to occupy myself." Tigerclaw narrowed his eyes, and Spottedleaf nudged him.

"I don't see the harm in having a third to the party," she meowed. "Come along."

Cinderpaw gave a thrilled purr before trotted ahead, stopping by the barrier in order to wait for the other two cats.

"It's down this way," Spottedleaf instructed, pointing her tail tail ahead of her. Cinderpaw skipped ahead, and Tigerclaw couldn't help a smile.

"Are you going to have kits one day?" Spottedleaf breathed, grinning at him cheekily.

"Not as of now," Tigerclaw admitted, glancing back at the camp barrier. "I don't even have a mate."  
Spottedleaf raised one eyebrow. "Please. Don't tell me you haven't noticed Goldenflower all over you."  
Tigerclaw shook his head and chuckled. "You're the second cat to tell me that today."  
Spottedleaf scoffed and hit him gently with her forepaw. "Well, you certainly needed to know! You two would be lucky to have each other."

"Just because you can't have kits doesn't mean you can pressure other cats into having them," Tigerclaw joked. Spottedleaf growled mockingly at him before jerking her head. "They're right up here. Cinderpaw, wait up!"  
Tigerclaw trotted ahead, finding Cinderpaw's gray shape in the red leaf-fall forest. "What are these?" she piped, placing her paw under a brightly colored berry. Her eyes were wide in amazement. Tigerclaw was halfway through figuring it out himself when Spottedleaf sprung out from beside him, tackling Cinderpaw away from the plant.

"Stay away from those," she growled, leering in close to Cinderpaw's face. Tigerclaw had never seen her this angry. "Do you understand?"  
"Yes," Cinderpaw squeaked, obviously not used to the medicine cat's strangely angry nature. Spottedleaf hopped away, sighing deeply.

"What are they?" Tigerclaw asked, careful to keep a good distance away from the berries.

"That berry is a yew berry," Spottedleaf explained darkly, flicking her tail at the bush. "They're called deathberries. I assume you know what they do from the name." Under further inspection, Tigerclaw saw the bright crimson stand out against the dark leaves. He curled his lip at the foul smell.

"Do they kill you if you _touch_ them?" Cinderpaw whispered, looking down at her paw in horror. Spottedleaf shook her head.

"Only if they're eaten," she informed them, "but do _not_ lick your paw until you wash it."  
Cinderpaw nodded importantly. Tigerclaw jerked his head at a bush teeming with yellow flowers. "This is tansy, right?" he guessed. Spottedleaf nodded. She sighed, and immediately her dark nature passed.

"Correct," she meowed, passing Tigerclaw. Her eyes twinkled at him jokingly. "Look at you, Tigerclaw. You could be a medicine cat."

Tigerclaw rolled his eyes and started delicately plucking the herb from the stem.

"Alright," Spottedleaf announced around the stems between her jaws. "Now we have to-"  
"Tigerclaw!" The three cats' heads spun around at the voice. Tigerclaw recognized the loud and screechy tone in an instant as Ravenflight appeared at the top of the hill. The black cat scrambled down the hill. His amber eyes were huge. "Fireheart needs to speak with you under the willow tree by the Thunderpath. He thinks ShadowClan is trespassing and Bluestar's still sick."  
"Why do I need to go?" Tigerclaw muttered through the plants in his maw. "I'm busy, and can't you report to Bluestar?"  
Ravenflight shook his head. "She doesn't believe me. Please, she'll take it from the deputy over a new warrior."  
Tigerclaw nodded, and Ravenflight fled back to camp. Tigerclaw waited until he was completely gone before rolling his eyes. "That," he announced, "has got to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard."  
Spottedleaf's eyes rounded. "You think they're setting you up?"  
Tigerclaw hissed softly. "Of course they are. They hate me, and Fireheart's been looking at the deputy spot since he joined ThunderClan."

"What if I go?" Cinderpaw suggested, squeezing between them.

"Absolutely not!" Spottedleaf scolded. "The Thunderpath is no place for a kit."  
"Wait, maybe she's onto something," Tigerclaw muttered. Spottedleaf looked at him like he was crazy, but he ignored it. "Fireheart wouldn't dare hurt his apprentice; then he wouldn't be able to be deputy."  
Spottedleaf slowly nodded. Then she leaned down and looked Cinderpaw in the eye. "Alright. We're going to send you out towards the Thunderpath. You know how dangerous it is, correct?"  
Cinderpaw nodded seriously. Spottedleaf took in a deep breath.

"Okay. So whatever you do, no matter where you see Fireheart, do not place one paw on there. All you need to do is call out to him and ask about ShadowClan, but _do not_ go on the Thunderpath."  
Cinderpaw took in a deep breath before scampering off towards ShadowClan territory. Spottedleaf collected Cinderpaw's share of tansy off of the ground before turning back to the bush.

"So are you ever going to get an apprentice?" Tigerclaw asked nonchalantly. Spottedleaf shrugged.

"If Bluestar allows," she teased. "I'd like one, to be honest, but I still feel like I'm too young to have one."

"You'd be able to have a partner to collect tansy with."  
Spottedleaf laughed lightly and shoved Tigerclaw with her shoulder. "Nah, I kind of like having you around," she admitted. "It's like having a sibling. With Willowpelt constantly over -" Spottedleaf stopped to think, and rolled her eyes "-whichever mate she's on, and with Redtail dead, it's been a bit lonely."  
Tigerclaw grinned. "I'm glad," he meowed. "My siblings died the day we were born, so I can't say I had any siblings either."

Tigerclaw had completely stuffed in his mouth and under his chin. A couple of minutes had passed, and Cinderpaw had yet to return.

"Maybe we should check on her," Tigerclaw suggested. His stomach was starting to twist nervously. Perhaps Fireheart had no heart, despite his name, and Cinderpaw was mercilessly killed by ShadowClan. Spottedleaf nodded.

"If she's hurt, then it's your fault," she meowed gravely.

"No, it's Fireheart's," Tigerclaw corrected, dropping his tansy into a messy pile. "If he was planning on killing me, he's risking the rest of ThunderClan."  
Spottedleaf stopped dead. Her head slowly turned to face Tigerclaw. "If you really think he's that evil, then why did you send out Cinderpaw in the first place?"  
Tigerclaw's stomach dropped to his paws. "We have to get her," he whispered.

Together, the ThunderClan cats bounded through the woods, Tigerclaw ever so slightly ahead. They reached the Thunderpath, out of breath, where Fireheart's stale scent lingered.

"I don't see her," Tigerclaw meowed frantically, pawing through the tall grass. He flinched as a monster rumbled by, whizzing his fur in the wind. He cursed inwardly. Fireheart's scent-mark was clear, but the tom himself was nowhere to be seen.

"Over here!" Spottedleaf called, half-hidden in weeds and wispy grass. Tigerclaw had almost reached her when he saw her gag and step back. Her fur was fluffed up completely. He barely even noticed the blood splattered across the Thunderpath. And when he reached where the medicine cat was standing, he saw what she was looking at.

Cinderpaw was laying unconscious by the side of the Thunderpath, and Tigerclaw didn't even know if she was alive or not. Her back leg was twisted badly, and her cheek was dappled with blood.

"I _told_ her," Spottedleaf choked out. "I told her not to go on the Thunderpath!"

 **Does anyone else picture Spottedleaf as calico? Just me? Okay. For the record, she and Tigerclaw have a sibling relationship here. She's, like, his aunt in the series and I felt like she needed some** **redemption, because I really didn't like her relationship with Firestar is the real series.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Scarlet Vow: you're exactly right shhh**

 **Mistress1296: he's going to be evil (lol duh). And he's gonna go to ShadowClan eventually.**

"Just a bit farther!" Tigerclaw spluttered. Cinderpaw was strewn across his back, and he felt her rapid heartbeat against his flank. Spottedleaf was by his side, and gently nosed her head back into place.

The two broke through the camp barrier. Gasps erupted around them, and Bluestar emerged from her den, eyes wide.

"What happened?" she whispered, slinking over to meet them. Frostfur cried out and flung herself towards her daughter, but Darkstripe pulled her aside and muttered something inaudible to her. Ravenflight's mouth was gaped open, but more angrily than in shock. Tigerclaw shot him a glare. _Don't act like this isn't your fault,_ he inwardly snarled.

Tenderly, Tigerclaw allowed Cinderpaw to slide off of his back in front of the medicine den. Cats were crowding around her, murmuring loudly.

"Is she okay?" came Frostfur's shrill call. Tigerclaw saw Brightpaw and Brackenpaw push to the front of the crowd and exchanged horrified glances. Spottedleaf looked to Tigerclaw desperately.

"She's unconscious, but she's alive," he explained slowly. Behind him, Spottedleaf blinked gratefully. "Spottedleaf says her leg might be broken."  
"Broken?" Mousefur repeated. The silence that followed her mew was deadly.

"How did this happen?" Bluestar demanded, shoving past Whitestorm. Her blue gaze was concerned. Tigerclaw swallowed slowly. _This is my chance,_ he realized, swinging his head around to look for Fireheart.

"Fireheart wanted to meet me at the ShadowClan border, by the Thunderpath," he began darkly.

"So you sent _Cinderpaw_?" Bluestar echoed in disbelief. Tigerclaw dipped his head.

"She was hit by a monster despite Spottedleaf's numerous warnings," he replied.

"Tigerclaw suspected foul play," Spottedleaf muttered, tenderly feeling around Cinerpaw's leg. "He thought Fireheart would never let his apprentice get hurt."

"Well," Bluestar meowed curtly. "He was wrong."  
"Where is Fireheart, anyway?" Whitestorm queried, glancing around. Cats began to whisper to one another. Tigerclaw shook his head.

"We didn't see him by the Thunderpath," he informed them.

"But his scent was there?" Bluestar mused. Tigerclaw pushed back a malevolent grin. _She's finally catching on._

"Exactly." He nodded importantly, and just as he did so, Fireheart pushed through the entrance. All heads swung his way. Fireheart froze, glanced around, before walking slowly over to the medicine cat's den. Then his emerald eyes widened ever so slightly as he placed eyes on his limp apprentice.

"Is… is she…?" he muttered.

"Dead? No," Spottedleaf interrupted. Cinderpaw's leg was wrapped in a leaf poultice, and her breathing was steady, but she still looked half-dead. "However, it appears her leg has been broken."  
"What does that mean?" Fireheart pressed, stalking forward to get a better look at his injured apprentice. Spottedleaf sighed.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I tried my best, but… I don't know if there's any way she could become a warrior."

Gasps erupted from the Clan, and Fireheart reeled back. Tigerclaw's head dropped in shame. Cinderpaw had been so eager and excited to be a warrior, and when she awoke, her dreams would be shattered.

"This day could not get any weirder," Bluestar muttered, shaking her head. "What will we do with her?"

"The only option is the elder's den," Patchpelt, one of the eldest cats in ThunderClan, rasped from his rock not far away. "If she can't hunt or fight, then what can she do?"

"You can't let her be an elder!" Brackenpaw begged, rounding his eyes in horror. Thornpaw stepped up beside his brother.

"Yeah!" he agreed. "She'd never let you!" Brightpaw nodded sharply before she gasped. Her amber eyes grew huge.

"Couldn't she just be a medicine cat?" she suggested. The clearing grew quiet, and Spottedleaf's ears pricked.

"If it's okay with Bluestar, I don't see a problem with it," she meowed quietly. Fireheart's look turned to utter horror. Bluestar shrugged.

"It's up to Cinderpaw," she meowed. "Once she wakes, this discussion will expand." With a dismissive flick of her tail, the cats disbanded. Tigerclaw saw Fireheart whirl around to Graystripe angrily, who was sitting near the back, and pull him aside. He followed them curiously behind the Highrock.

"You idiot!" Fireheart exploded. Graystripe shrunk back, ears flattened. "I knew this was never going to work out! I can't train my apprentice _and_ your apprentice, just because you're meeting some pretty RiverClan cat!"  
Tigerclaw felt his heart pump quicker. _He's still meeting Silverstream,_ Tigerclaw realized. _And Fireheart's been taking over Brackenpaw's training, too. So he isn't all evil, I guess._

"Fireheart, I'm sorry, but-" Graystripe managed weakly. Fireheart cut him off with a hiss.

"No!" he snapped. "Sorry's not going to cut it. You know how much I loved training Cinderpaw. And now I can't because I just _had_ to be watching Brackenpaw while you were off in RiverClan territory!"  
"Why were you with Brackenpaw at the Thunderpath in the first place? When there were clearly no ShadowClan scents there?" the gray tom snapped suddenly. "You're so caught up in being the next deputy that you can't even rank up normally. No, you have to murder to get there."  
Fireheart froze. "What did you say?"  
Graystripe stalked forward, confident now. "That's right," he growled. "You blame me for being a bad mentor when you're only a mentor to rule ThunderClan. I'm not stupid, Fireheart. There were no ShadowClan scents. You put your scent on the edge of the Thunderpath. You tried to kill Tigerclaw."

Tigerclaw's blood ran cold. His claws unsheathed in unease. A sense of triumph tingled in his paws, but hearing the words come from Graystripe's mouth made Fireheart's insanity real.

"That," Fireheart snarled, "is none of your business. Maybe if you stopped meeting Silverstream, I would still have an apprentice and I would have been in a much better place right now."  
"You're sick," Graystripe snarled. "You know what? Maybe you deserved to have Cinderpaw taken away. Your loyalty towards ThunderClan is no more than an ambitious kittypet's."  
"And yours is to RiverClan," Fireheart growled. Graystripe stepped back. "Do me a favor and stay away from me," he snapped. "You've already done enough." Tigerclaw's ears pricked. _He's blaming Graystripe for Cinderpaw's accident, huh?_

"Fine," Graystripe spat, beginning to leave. "Have fun not being a mentor."  
Fireheart scoffed. "Have fun actually being one," he retorted. "Not that you've ever done that before." Graystripe had completely disappeared, leaving Fireheart alone behind the Highrock. "No apprentice," he huffed to himself. "We'll see about that." Tigerclaw's skin crawled with disturbance. Silently, he crept away.

Cinderpaw hadn't even woken up yet when a patrol returned with a little more than fresh kill. Tigerclaw was napping lightly inside the warrior's den, closer than usual to Goldenflower, when a loud commotion woke him.

"What's going on?" Goldenflower murmured. Her tail was still tucked over her nose daintily. Tigerclaw arched his back in a stretch.

"Time to find out," he yawned. He sauntered out of the den and immediately his eyes widened. A meeting had been called, and in the front Runningwind was holding up his paw for silence.

"Today my patrol stumbled across something strange at the border," he announced. Bluestar watched from above with careful interest. Tigerclaw leaned forward, and he could see, perched at Brindleface's paws, a small white kit reeking of kittypet.

"When we brought him back to camp, Fireheart said he knew of this kit," Willowpelt added, shooting a glare at the young tom. "It is his sister's kit."  
"His name is Cloudkit," Fireheart blurted. He ducked his head in embarrassment as every head turned his way. "And my sister has requested that he joins ThunderClan."  
Loud yowls cut him off. "Are we letting our Clan be overrun by kittypets?" Darkstripe hissed. Mousefur yowled agreement.

"Silence!" Bluestar bellowed. The cries quickly turned to mumbles of disagreement. "I see no harm in keeping this kit," she announced. "He is only a kit. If he is raised here, and knows nothing of his background, he should be fine as any warrior."

"But he's so… _white_ ," Sandpaw argued, baffled. "How will he hunt properly?" Whitestorm, her mentor, hit him with a paw.

"And when has that ever stopped me?" he pointed out.

"But what if he's part of ShadowClan's prophecy, too?" Speckletail growled from the nursery. Bluestar paused, and closed her mouth.  
"He's not going to be, because we're not going to tell ShadowClan about him. For all they know, he's just Brindleface's third kit," she decided slowly. "And, if they somehow find out before he becomes a warrior, then he goes to ShadowClan. This war does not need to be lengthened."

Fireheart bristled, but many of the other cats nodded agreement. Tigerclaw narrowed his eyes. _Is this the new apprentice he wants?_  
The meeting disbanded, and Tigerclaw made his way up to Bluestar.

"What do you want?" she meowed tiredly. She had seen a lot today: Graystripe's forbidden relationship, an apprentice injuring her leg beyond repair, and now a second kittypet.

"For the record," Tigerclaw meowed warily, watching newly named Cloudkit wrestling with Ashkit and Fernkit, "this day did get weirder."

 **This was kind of a filler chapter, so yeah, Cloudkit!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Scarlet Vow: Fireheart didn't want to kill Tigerclaw in front of** **Bluestar. He wanted to make it look like an accident on the Thunderpath. (thanks btw, I love your reviews)** **  
** **Mistress1296: There's no "side" for Fireheart as of now. I guess from Tigerclaw's POV it seems like there is, but only Ravenflight is plotting with him. The only cats that are truly against him are Tigerclaw, Graystripe, and Spottedleaf. The others cats are neutral towards him. And Sandpaw and Dustpaw will become warriors soon. :)**

 **Sorry if I can't post in these upcoming days, I'll be away so stay tuned!**

Over the course of the next few days, Tigerclaw felt himself grow restless. Cloudkit showed no interest in Fireheart or any other cat besides Brindleface, his adoptive mother. Fireheart had been anything but ashamed that another kittypet had joined the Clan. The drama had died down, leaving Tigerclaw alone with his thoughts. And Goldenflower. He didn't really mind that, though.

The beginning of another uneventful day had begun. Fireheart had returned from a hunt, and was seated next to Sandpaw. Though the light ginger she-cat was still an apprentice, Bluestar had promised her and Dustpaw warrior names soon.

Ever since Graystripe had accused Fireheart of trying to kill Tigerclaw, the two former friends began to avoid each other at all costs, leaving Ravenflight and Fireheart to plot in peace. Tigerclaw was glad someone had finally called the ginger tom out, but his stomach was still sick with unease. With the helpful pointers of Spottedleaf, he had assembled what he thought had happened.

Fireheart had wanted Tigerclaw dead, obviously. So he made up a completely false story about ShadowClan scents and Ravenflight acted as the messenger, telling Tigerclaw to meet Fireheart by the Thunderpath. Fireheart's scent was there, across the Thunderpath, but the tom himself must have been out somewhere else. Fireheart had deliberately marked on the most dangerous part of the road, intending to look like he crossed easily, but in reality, it could easily kill a cat - or injure one, in Cinderpaw's case.

The gray she-cat had eventually awoken in pure horror to her twisted leg. She recited what she could, and Spottedleaf gently broke the news that she could no longer be a warrior. Cinderpaw had reluctantly given in to becoming a medicine cat, and Spottedleaf tried her best to hide her excitement. She was going to be official next half-moon.

Tigerclaw's thoughts were giving him a headache. He rolled over, away from his spot by the Highrock, when he saw Fireheart talking to Sandpaw in a hushed voice. Sandpaw giggled, and Tigerclaw narrowed his eyes. Could Sandpaw be replacing Graystripe in his group? And did she know he literally tried to kill Tigerclaw? Goldenflower looked down at him with a gleam in her eyes.

"Are you finally getting up?" she teased. "You've been sleeping a lot lately."  
Tigerclaw gaped his jaws in a yawn. "It's been lazy lately," he pointed out. Goldenflower's eyes widened.

"How could you even say that?" she meowed in wonder. "What, with ShadowClan at war, an injured apprentice, and a second kittypet?"

"ShadowClan has done nothing since they first attacked," Tigerclaw growled. "They're too weak for a war."  
Goldenflower turned, facing the Clan with a grim expression. "Maybe that's just it," she mused. "They may be weak now, but what if they're fighting that? What if they're growing strong?"  
"Then we fight back, stronger," Tigerclaw insisted, though the golden she-cat brought up a valid point. He shook his head, as if clearing the stress from his mind. "I should sort evening patrols," he meowed. "Would you like to lead one?"

Goldenflower purred happily. "I'd love to."  
"Take Whitestorm, Fireheart, Brightpaw, and Willowpelt," he explained. "Runningwind can lead the other one. Have him grab whoever he wants, so long as they haven't hunted lately."  
"Yes sir," Goldenflower replied, flicking his nose with her tail teasingly. Then she rose to her paws and went to grab her patrol. Tigerclaw watched through careful narrowed eyes as Fireheart bid Sandpaw a polite goodbye before leaving with the rest of the patrol. He got to his paws and headed over to where Sandpaw sat, grooming her pale her.

"So when do you become a warrior?" he began politely. Sandpaw glanced up at him, and though her expression was courteous, her eyes glinted with something else.

"My assessment is tomorrow," she said, shrugging. "So soon, really."  
"You're not jealous that Fireheart got his name before you?" Tigerclaw asked, sitting down in front of Sandpaw. She shook her head.  
"I was. I'm not even that much younger than Ravenflight and Graystripe!" She huffed in exasperation, then grinned. "But Fireheart's okay. I can see why he got his early."  
"You can?" Tigerclaw murmured. Sandpaw nodded.

"The other cats should stop blaming everything on him because he used to be a kittypet," Sandpaw growled. "He's actually really sweet."  
"Coming from you, that must be a huge compliment to Fireheart," Tigerclaw responded lightly. "Based on how you used to treat him."  
Sandpaw laughed. "I've changed, Tigerclaw," she meowed, though her tone of voice suggested otherwise. Tigerclaw began to leave, when he turned his head to look at the older apprentice one last time.

"So what do you think about Fireheart?" he began. "I mean, I know you think he's nice but-"  
But he never got to finish. Instead, a yowl cut him off.

"ShadowClan, attack!"  
Tigerclaw and Sandpaw bristled simultaneously as cats reeking of pine forests exploded through the barrier. Tigerclaw growled and unsheathed his claws.

"Everyone is out of camp," he huffed. Louder, he meowed, "Sandpaw, fetch the patrols. They couldn't have gone far." The light ginger apprentice nodded importantly before streaking away. She had barely left Tigerclaw's view when a brown ShadowClan tom slammed into him.

Tigerclaw rolled over in the dirt, spitting as a claw came down and scored across his face. The tom hissed in triumph, and Tigerclaw gritted his teeth. He sunk his claws into the tom's belly, and he yowled in pain, scrambling off. Tigerclaw leapt to his paws to see the ShadowClan warrior facing him, teeth bared. Tigerclaw mirrored his position before the two of them leapt and met mid-air. Tigerclaw felt his claws lash out against the tom's ear. His belly sparked with energy, but the tom lunged at his stomach, blowing him over.

"You think you can keep Fireheart from us forever?" the tom spat, leering in close to Tigerclaw's face. Tigerclaw shrunk back at his crow-food breath.

"You think you can keep losing forever?" Tigerclaw growled in reply. Just as he spoke, a large caterwaul shook the forest. The ShadowClan tom jerked his head up, and Tigerclaw seized the opportunity. He shot his head up and felt his jaws around the ShadowClan cat's neck. The tom yowled and scrambled back, giving Tigerclaw the upper hand.

Then Tigerclaw pieced two and two together. The loud scream had come from the middle of camp. Bluestar was standing rigid with shock, and Whitestorm dropped the body of Brokenstar with a thud. _He's lost a life,_ Tigerclaw realized.

"See?" Tigerclaw hissed. "Even your leader is weak."

The tom jerked his head back in doubt. "I couldn't ask for a better leader," he defended. "He will give all nine lives for the prophecy StarClan gave us. And you're being selfish!"  
"You sound like a kit," Tigerclaw spat, flattening his ears. He reached his claw up and slashed the tom across the face. The ShadowClan cat sprung back. "Now get out of here," Tigerclaw growled. "Or else Brokenstar isn't the only one losing a life."

The tom hissed, but got the message and fled. Tigerclaw felt a rush of pride at seeing, one by one, each ShadowClan cat leaving until only Brokenstar's still body was left. Tigerclaw padded over curiously.

"Was that his last life?" Whitestorm queried, poking Brokenstar with his paw. Bluestar shook her head.

"Nope. He's breathing," she meowed, pressing her paw gently to his flank. Sure enough, it was rising and falling gently. Tigerclaw tipped his head to the side.

"What do we do with him?" he asked. "Chase him out? Kill him?"

ThunderClan seemed to approve of his last suggestion, but Bluestar shook her head quickly. "We are not the cruel Clan he thinks we are," she meowed steadily. "As of now, Brokenstar is a prisoner."

Meows of outrage broke out among the cats. Tigerclaw was stunned.

"We can't _keep_ the leader of _ShadowClan_ ," Mousefur yowled.

"That's not what I'm proposing," Bluestar replied, flicking her tail. "We will keep him until ShadowClan fetches him back and admits defeat."  
"From the battle?" Tigerclaw wondered aloud. Bluestar's gaze sharpened.

"From this so-called war," she corrected.

"And if they don't agree to stop?" Whitestorm added in a murmur. Bluestar rose to her paws, unsheathing her claws.

"Then we may kill him," she growled. Tigerclaw felt his gaze travel to Fireheart, who had just joined the crowd. His eyes were wide with interest at the idea of Brokenstar being in camp, and he made his way over to Ravenflight.

Tigerclaw rolled his eyes and padded to the Highrock. Perhaps now was a good time for the patrols to go out.

"And one more thing," Bluestar added. It almost looked like she was holding back a smile. "Two apprentices fought bravely during the battle today. Dustpaw, Sandpaw, would you step forward?"

Night fell on ThunderClan. Brokenstar was by the medicine cat's den. He had awoken angrily, but had being kept in spot by Whitestorm and Fireheart, his guards. Newly named Sandstorm and Dustpelt were sitting vigil by the entrance. Tigerclaw was ready to call it a night and head to the warriors den when he saw Goldenflower sitting in the center of camp, alone. She was looking at the stars. Tigerclaw smiled ever so slightly and padded over to her.

"Hey," he meowed softly. She acknowledged him with the twitch of her ear.

"Aren't the stars beautiful?" she breathed. Tigerclaw looked at her. Her fur was silvery in the moonlight, and her eyes reflected the avast night sky. She truly was beautiful.

"They are," Tigerclaw agreed, sitting next to her. He found himself twisting his neck to check on Fireheart and Brokenstar. Whitestorm was asleep, leaving Fireheart on guard. Fireheart was seated next to Brokenstar, not at all intimidated by the leader. They were chatting quietly, casting glances at the leader's den. Tigerclaw's fur rose, and Goldenflower noticed immediately.

"Hey," she whispered. "You okay?"

Tigerclaw shook his head quickly. "No, yeah, I'm fine," he muttered, shaking the debris from his coat. Goldenflower looked at him worriedly.

"I know you're worried about Fireheart," she murmured. She scooted closer to him, and Tigerclaw felt her soft fur against his. "And I think you're getting too into it."

Tigerclaw raised an eyebrow. "What are you saying?"  
Goldenflower purred. "I'm saying you need to let go for a little bit. Mind going on a walk with me?" Tigerclaw felt a smile spread across his face. Perhaps he did need a break.

Before he knew it, Tigerclaw was strolling into the deep woods with Goldenflower at his side. The forest was creepier when it was dark, but somehow, it was soothing. Crickets chirped around Tigerclaw's paws, and to be honest, he did feel more at peace.

"So do you walk out in the woods often?" Tigerclaw asked, nodding at Goldenflower.

"I do, actually," she replied. "It's so peaceful out here. I'm glad I have someone to walk with me today, though."  
"It's not a _random_ someone, though, is it?" Tigerclaw mused. Goldenflower stopped.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked carefully. Tigerclaw only smirked. He began to walk again when Goldenflower cut him off with a quiet, "wait!"

Goldenflower ducked her head and padded up until her whiskers brushed Tigerclaw's neck. "You're right," she admitted softly. "It wasn't random." Then her eyes began to glimmer like they always did when she got excited. "I know this is kind of untraditional, for a she-cat to ask a tom, but I've liked you for, like, a long time." she paused and purred, and Tigerclaw felt his heart pump faster at every word she spoke. "So, Tigerclaw, would you be my mate?"

"Goldenflower," Tigerclaw murmured. The words rolled like water over his tongue. Her name was almost as beautiful as she was, inside and out. And Tigerclaw was so wound up in Fireheart that he hadn't even noticed his feelings for her, too. He could barely hold back a grin. "Of course I will."

Goldenflower squealed and shoved her face into Tigerclaw's thick fur. Tigerclaw placed his head on top of hers and smiled like an apprentice at their first Gathering. And, for the first time since Fireheart had joined ThunderClan, he felt happy.


	10. Chapter 10

**Childish 'paw & NightmareTheFoxWitch: thank you!**

 **Scarlet Vow: Thank you! I know, I'd love to see Tigerclaw and Goldenflower in the series because they seem like an interesting couple. The thing with this story is that it's an AU, and so whatever happens, with these certain cats being evil or not, will create a butterfly effect. Some things (like Spottedleaf still being alive and Yellowfang never leaving ShadowClan) have already happened, and some will come soon enough. And I understand your last review now, thanks for the clarification haha.**

"ShadowClan and RiverClan are attacking!"

It had only been a moon. Only a moon since Tigerclaw and Goldenflower became official, and since Brokenstar - Brokentail, Bluestar demanded - was held prisoner, only a moon since Cinderpaw became the second medicine cat. Tigerclaw had expected peace at last, but of course, that never happened.

He was still asleep, curled up with his tail overtop of Goldenflower's. The sun hadn't even risen yet, and night was still lingering when Onewhisker, a young WindClan warrior, had burst into camp with a horrified expression.

"We're being attacked!" he tried again, scrambling atop the Highrock. This time, cats began to awaken. Tigerclaw included.

Bluestar crawled out of her den worriedly. Her posture sagged from sleep. "By who, Onewhisker?" she meowed tiredly, gaping her jaws in a yawn. The light brown tabby bristled.

"RiverClan and ShadowClan teamed up," he explained quickly. "We're outnumbered."  
Bluestar instinctively looked at Brokentail, who sat neatly in front of the medicine den.

"I didn't do that," he said, shrugging. Bluestar turned to Tigerclaw, who emerged from the den with a scowl.  
"And what makes you worthy of our help?" he demanded, stalking forward. Onewhisker turned to him. A plea was in his eyes.

"WindClan and ThunderClan have been allies for a long time," he pointed out. "We've helped each other through so many hard times. Like these," he added, flicking his tail towards the border. Tigerclaw pricked his ears, and the distant sounds of screeching cats reached his ears. Tigerclaw dipped his head at Bluestar.

"If you'd like, I'll lead a patrol," Tigerclaw suggested. Bluestar nodded. Tigerclaw overlooked the Clan. The strongest cats were coming with him, if the battle were to be this severe. "Whitestorm, Darkstripe, Longtail, Dustpelt, Mousefur, Sandstorm, Graystripe, Goldenflower, and Fireheart," he listed, overlooking the most awake warriors. "Come along. You'll all be fighting. And Spottedleaf, you and Cinderpaw are the backup in case of injury."  
"I'd like to come, too," Bluestar added, slithering over to where Tigerclaw stood. "Crookedstar must be going mad for land." Her eyes were grave at the reminder of Retail's death.  
"They agree with ShadowClan," Onewhisker explained. "When ShadowClan gave us some of their land, it seemed fair, but now they want it back."  
"And that's just how RiverClan was with Sunningrocks," Bluestar sniffed. "Fitting."

"Well?" Mousefur yowled. "Let's go!"

And so they were off with not even a goodbye to the other cats. Tigerclaw was running in the front, beside Onewhisker, and felt Fireheart's flank against his. He stifled a growl when Goldenflower pulled up on his other side. She looked unusually exhausted but hid it well.

"Tigerclaw," she murmured. "If you can't stop worrying about him, this battle will be your worst," she pointed out. Tigerclaw had to admit, she had a point.

"I won't get hurt or anything," he insisted, sneaking a glance at Fireheart, who had pulled up next to Onewhisker and started a conversation. Goldenflower's gaze softened.

"But if you're caught up in Fireheart, you never know what could happen," she fretted. She seemed to grow more frantic with each word. "I can't have you dead. What about the kits?"

Tigerclaw stopped dead. ThunderClan cats bumped past him, hissing. Goldenflower turned around, eyes huge, and Tigerclaw snuck a glance at her belly. His paws somehow felt lighter, like he was being lifted into StarClan. "You're… you're going to have kits?" he whispered in excitement. Goldenflower closed her eyes and purred.

"Yes, Tigerclaw," she meowed gently. "They're due next moon. You're going to be a great father."

As she spoke, Onewhisker announced to the cats that the battle was ahead. Tigerclaw heard claws unsheathe and growls rumble in the throats nearby. Goldenflower jerked her head at the battle, not far away. "Go," she whispered. "Fight for your kits."  
That was all the strength Tigerclaw needed. He bounded forward, shaking away the light feeling, and rushed into battle. He entered the clearing, where the sound of screeching cats became real. He leapt at his nearest opponent, a muscular RiverClan tom, but a lithe ShadowClan tom lunged at him. He looked no bigger than a new apprentice.

"Fight a cat your own size," Tigerclaw snarled, flicking him away. He watched the apprentice roll away, eyes wide, and scramble to his paws. But despite his trembling figure, he stood his ground. Numerous scars battered his pelt, and the flesh was ripped open above his left eye. He looked so horribly exhausted, like fighting another cat would certainly end him. And yet, he wanted to fight Tigerclaw.

Tigerclaw growled, but then, as he looked into his fearful green eyes, he realized that somewhere in ShadowClan, six moons ago, was a father that heard the news of kits and got so excited to lay eyes upon this kit for the first time. A father who named him, eagerly awaited his apprentice ceremony, and watched him learn and grow. A father that marveled at how much his kit would give for ShadowClan, and how much loyalty meant to him. A father that knew if his kit died in his first battle, he would be devastated.

And Tigerclaw knew that that father was going to be him in the not so far future.  
"Get out of here," he growled softly. The apprentice only took a step forward, bristling. He was so underfed that it pained Tigerclaw to look at him.

"You can't tell me how to fight my battles," he snarled. Tigerclaw tipped his head to the side.

"I'm not telling you how to fight," he meowed. "I'm telling you how to not die."  
The apprentice raised his head ever so slightly.

"We have two medicine cats behind those bushes," Tigerclaw growled, flicking his tail at the nearby bracken. "I want you to go to them before you get yourself killed. They won't turn anyone down."

The apprentice growled, but looked as if he were considering it. "I will give my life to ShadowClan!" he insisted. "I don't need a ThunderClan cat bossing me around!" Tigerclaw sighed deeply.

"As much as you think I do, I don't want you to die," he went on. "I don't think I could live with that. ShadowClan can't lose anything, much less a young apprentice. What about your family? What would they think, seeing you bloodied and dead? Don't you want your mother to be proud of you, instead of her crying for you?"  
The apprentice's ears flattened in hurt. "Where are they?" he whispered. "The medicine cats?"  
"Over there. Tell them Tigerclaw sent you." Tigerclaw flicked his tail at the bracken once more, and the apprentice scrambled away, green gaze not leaving Tigerclaw. Before he could disappear, Tigerclaw called out to him once more. "I like your bravery. What's your name, kit?"  
The apprentice turned around, ducking his head at the praised. "Rowanpaw," he meowed. Then he was gone.

Tigerclaw bounded away, back into battle. _I'm supposed to be showing no mercy, and yet I'm doing the opposite._

He leapt at a RiverClan she-cat stinking of fish without second thought. A nearby scream distracted Tigerclaw, and he saw Fireheart tackled by the RiverClan deputy, Leopardfur. He smirked as she twisted around his raised paw in a snake-like movement and raked her claws down his belly. _I could make a friend,_ he realized, watching the spotted she-cat taunt Fireheart mercilessly.

Only then did Tigerclaw realized he was still in battle. He looked back down at the she-cat before realizing she hadn't even fought back, even when he was distracted. Someone gasped, and Tigerclaw looked up to realize it was Graystripe, staring at him in horror. Then, in a horrible moment, he recognized the RiverClan cat.

Silverstream.

Tigerclaw unsheathed his claws. No, he couldn't fight her, not with Graystripe staring at him with his mouth open. Instead, he stepped aside, allowing the pretty silver she-cat to scramble to her paws. She gave him a thankful nod before darting away into the thick of battle.

"Thank you," Graystripe whispered hoarsely. He approached Tigerclaw numbly and rubbed his cheek against his shoulder. "You don't know how much that means."

Tigerclaw looked up at the fleeing Silverstream. Something stuck out about her, and it wasn't just that RiverClan cats were normally plump. Tigerclaw's heart skipped a beat.

"She's expecting kits," he realized aloud. To Graystripe, he added warmly, "They're yours, aren't they?"  
Graystripe paused for a fleeting moment before purring and nodding. Tigerclaw grinned as the gray tom left. _I know exactly how much that means._

Tigerclaw looked up for an opponent he could actually fight when he saw Fireheart glaring at him coldly. His ear was torn, finally added a more rugged look to his clean orange pelt.

"You let her go?" Fireheart spat. "What kind of warrior-"  
But he was cut off by a ghostly wail. Tigerclaw placed it to an elderly black tom, who was dappled with dried blood and fresh blood alike. He realized it was ShadowClan's new leader, Nightstar.

"Retreat!" he croaked. "ShadowClan, retreat!"  
Tigerclaw watched as the ShadowClan warriors unlatched from the ThunderClan and WindClan ones and slunk off in defeat. Crookedstar looked at Tallstar, who he was fighting, and shrugged.

"RiverClan!" he yowled. "This was never our battle. Let us go!"  
Tigerclaw watched as the RiverClan cats left, somewhat ruefully. As Leopardfur passed him, he nudged her.

"Nice move on the orange cat," he whispered. Her pupils went from slits to circles when she realized he was being friendly. _RiverClan didn't take this battle seriously at all,_ Tigerclaw realized.

"Fireheart?" she meowed. "Thanks. He gets on my nerves. No offense."

"None taken," Tigerclaw replied, rolling his eyes. "I should use it on him sometime."  
Leopardfur laughed. "You should." Then she waved her tail in goodbye, and was gone with the rest of RiverClan.

"ThunderClan," Bluestar announced. Tigerclaw looked around. Longtail was limping, and Dustpelt had a fresh scar crossing his muzzle, but otherwise, they were uninjured. He snuck a glance at Goldenflower, and was relieved when he saw that she had no scars on her pelt. "We have won."

Tallstar nodded thoughtfully. "May our Clans be at peace for many moons forward," he added. Bluestar nodded sharply.

"Let's go home," she announced.

Tigerclaw was lost in thought the entire way back. Rowanpaw remained on his mind. He hoped his kits would be as brave as Rowanpaw was. Would they be willing to die for ThunderClan? What would their names be? How many of them would there be? Would the she-kit be as pretty as her mother? Would the tom be as fearless as him?

Tigerclaw's thoughts were broken as they returned to camp. Cats had gone hysteric, wailing and bristling.

"What's going on?" Tigerclaw asked the nearest cat, who happened to be Whitestorm. Just as the white tom shrugged, a wail pierced the air. Tigerclaw looked up, and realized dawn was breaking above the crazed Clan.

"Brokentail!" someone wailed. "He's gone!"

 **Ayy** **cliffhanger! I'm going to be gone in the next few days, but if I can update I will. Also, school's starting soon so I don't know if I can keep up once a day. Thanks for understanding~**


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm back! Also, since it's August these won't be daily any more. Thanks for understanding!**

 **FeatherSunfire: Thank you! :)**

 **Scarlet Vow: you're right again lol. And I'm glad I got to include Rowanpaw, hopefully he'll appear later.**

 **Childish 'paw: I'm glad you like them! One thing, though, there was a time skip. I think I said that, but I don't think I spaced it right, it was definitely** ** _not_** **right after the battle. (Also, does anyone know how to make the lines across the page that indicate a time skip or something? Cos I need to find out)**

 **The thing with how I made TigerXGolden is that Tigerclaw isn't one to fall in love exactly. That I didn't change about him. But when he knew Goldenflower liked him that much, he realized that he wanted to make her happy. Even if becoming her mate was the key to that. He's going to love his kits, though, unconditionally.**

"I'll send out patrols," Tigerclaw insisted immediately. He brushed by Bluestar, who stood by the medicine den with an alarmed expression.

"We had guards!" she exclaimed. Spottedleaf was with her, head dropped.

"Brokentail attacked me and Cinderpaw on his way out," she revealed. "Cinderpaw got thrown pretty hard, and I got a scratch above my eye, but no one got seriously injured, I think."

Bluestar's whiskers drooped. "You couldn't stop him?"  
Spottedleaf shook her head slowly. "No, Bluestar. I'm sorry. I'm a medicine cat, not a warrior." Her head turned as a light gray shape - Willowpelt - appeared. Tigerclaw stifled a gasp when he saw a limp, light brown shape in her jaws.

"Runningwind got hit pretty badly," Willowpelt added, joining the conversation. "He's unconscious as of now, but Spottedleaf say's he'll recover. He was guarding Brokentail."  
Bluestar groaned. "This keeps getting worse, doesn't it?" she hissed. "And I still have to give Brackenpaw his warrior name tonight."

"What about his other guard?" Tigerclaw suggested, leaning forward. Willowpelt shrugged and neatly dropped Runningwind to the ground.

"Ravenflight?" she recalled. "He's around here somewhere."

Tigerclaw's pelt prickled with unease. "And he's uninjured?"  
Bluestar flicked her tail. "I'd like to speak with me medicine cats alone," she meowed. Tigerclaw took a step back. She wanted privacy.

He droned out Bluestar's grave meow and scrambled atop Highrock, where the rest of ThunderClan gathered around in confusion.

"If you are not aware, a prisoner has escaped," Tigerclaw bellowed. The Clan looked shocked that he was speaking, and some cats murmured to each other rapidly. "I will send out two separate patrols to find him. Whitestorm, would you lead the first one?"

The white tom nodded seriously. His posture showed he was concerned for the safety of the Clan, but his eyes told Tigerclaw something different.

"Dustpelt, you may lead the second one," he went on. "Pick as many cats as you wish, but only if they remain uninjured from the battle." Dust pelt nodded quickly before turning around.

Tigerclaw watched as Whitestorm made his way over to Willowpelt, Brightpaw, Darkstripe, and Longtail, while Dustpelt headed towards Ravenflight, Mousefur, and Swiftpaw. Tigerclaw jumped down elegantly, ignoring the stares that glared at his pelt, and went over to Dustpelt's patrol.

"Is it okay if I join?" he asked the small dusty warrior, tipping his head to the side. Dustpelt winced, and Tigerclaw almost missed it. He looked back at his patrol for permission. Swiftpaw shrugged, but Mousefur narrowed her eyes.

"I think we're good," Dustpelt began slowly. His gaze didn't leave Tigerclaw. "Thanks, though." Tigerclaw grunted in response. Ravenflight bent over to whisper something in Swiftpaw's ear, all while glaring at Tigerclaw maliciously.

They left, leaving Tigerclaw ever so slightly confused. He shrugged away the feeling and turned around. _Perhaps I should find Goldenflower,_ he realized, _and make sure she's okay._

The golden she-cat was exactly where he thought she'd be: in the middle of camp, looking up at the few visible stars. The sun was rising, casting an eerie pink glow against her fur.

"How are you?" he asked softly, approaching behind her. Goldenflower jumped in surprise, then licked her chest in embarrassment.

"I'm fine," she meowed. "You?"  
Tigerclaw shrugged. "Just making sure you were okay, after the battle." He lowered his voice. "Have you thought of names for the kits yet?"

Goldenflower nodded sharply. She didn't even look at him. "Oh, yeah. A few."  
Tigerclaw narrowed his eyes and snuck away. Did he do something to upset her? His thoughts were broken as a lithe ginger shape rammed into his pelt, and he recognized Sandstorm as she sprung back, staring up at him with huge green eyes.

"Excuse me," he meowed lightly. Sandstorm merely stared at him with her mouth ever so slightly open.

"You know that Redtail was my father, right?" she meowed suddenly. Tigerclaw was taken aback by the question, and ducked his head when he realized how obviously shocked he was.

"I was aware," he replied honestly. He took a step to the side, but Sandstorm did the same, stopping him from moving.

"And you saw him die?" she whispered, moving her head to the side slightly. Tigerclaw swallowed a lump in his throat.

"There was nothing I could do," he admitted quietly. "He and Oakheart were fighting and they got caught in a rockslide."

Sandstorm narrowed her eyes. "The least you could do was warn him," she whispered. Her voice broke before she took a deep breath and fled. Tigerclaw's mouth snapped shut. _I did warn him,_ he replied internally. _But I don't know why that's relevant now._

He shook his head. Everyone was being weird now! Maybe when the patrols found Brokentail, everything would pass over. But of course, it didn't.

"Tigerclaw, may I speak to you in my den?" Bluestar asked, sliding up beside Tigerclaw. Her blue gaze had darkened. "Now?"

Tigerclaw couldn't think of a response, so he followed wordlessly. He nearly tripped over Cloudkit on the way there, who squeaked before scrambling away to the safety of Brindleface. Tigerclaw rolled his eyes. _Fireheart's probably been bad-mouthing me to Cloudkit._

He stayed annoyed until he reached Bluestar's den. The leader had beaten him there, and was already sitting down with her tail wrapped around her paws.

"Is this about the Gathering tomorrow?" he asked nonchalantly, sitting down beside her nest. "Or Brackenpaw's warrior name?"

Bluestar shook her head. "Brackenpaw is getting his name after we talk," she meowed. The seriousness in her voice forced all the lightness out of Tigerclaw.

"What's going on?" he asked in almost a growl.

Bluestar sighed deeply. "I never thought I would ask you this question," she meowed, closing her eyes tightly. "Did you kill Redtail?"

The question stung to a cold numbness. How _dare_ she accuse him? Redtail was a deputy, a mentor, and most of all, a friend. What kind of sick cat murdered their own deputy?

But at the same time, everything made sense: Sandstorm's odd question about Redtail, Goldenflower's abruptness, and Dustpelt's doubt. Tigerclaw realized with a cold start that they must think he killed Redtail, too.

"Are you out of your mind?" he exploded. Bluestar flinched back, like he was planning to kill her too. "What reasons do I have to kill Redtail? You can ask Ravenflight; he saw it happen!"  
Bluestar locked her stare on him steadily. "You see, Ravenflight came to me as well as multiple other cats saying that he saw you kill Red-"

"Are you serious?" Tigerclaw snapped. Rage was bubbling from his toes to his ears. "You're believing the word of Ravenflight and oh, let me guess, Fireheart and Sandstorm, the youngest warriors in the Clan, one of which is a _kittypet_ , over logic?" he snarled. Bluestar opened her mouth, but Tigerclaw cut her off. "No. You have let rumors cause my own mate and Clan to act like I'm some sort of killer? Rumors that started from Ravenflight? _The guard that let Brokentail loose_?"  
There is was. Bluestar's open mouth snapped shut, and Tigerclaw stepped back, breathing heavily. Bluestar's pupils slitted.

"What did you say?" she whispered. Tigerclaw growled softly.

"The only guard to get off scot-free from… from that manic," he replied, "was Ravenflight. Runningwind is unconcious. Even the medicine cats somehow got injured. And you're not questioning _that_?"

Bluestar's tail flicked. "At this point, I don't know who to trust," she admitted. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a warrior to name."

The next night was the Gathering, and Tigerclaw couldn't say he was thrilled.

Brackenfur was near the front, nearly bouncing at his new name. Beside him were Spottedleaf and Cinderpaw, who was going to be named the next quarter-moon.

Tigerclaw entered the clearing, gagging at the stretch of the other Clans. Nightstar, the elderly ShadowClan leader, was already on top of the boulder, with Crookedstar at his side. Bluestar joined them, jumping atop the rock gracefully, and Tigerclaw found his position below her. Tallstar joined last, and Deadfoot, his disabled deputy, sat beside Tigerclaw. They exchanged a brief, polite nod.

"Where's ShadowClan's deputy?" Leopardfur asked, narrowing her golden eyes at the empty spot below Nightstar. Tigerclaw tipped his head to the side.

"Has something happened to Blackfoot?" he added. The black and white tom's image flashed in his head. Deadfoot nodded thoughtfully.

"And why is Nightstar leader?" he asked. "Surely, it would be Blackfoot, after the death of Brokenstar."

Tigerclaw bit his tongue at the reminder that ThunderClan had kept Brokentail as a prisoner before his escape. Leopardfur shook out her spotted coat. "That's what I'm not understanding," she added. "Nightstar used to be an elder. Blackfoot is one of the strongest cats in the Clans."

"Perhaps both Brokenstar and Blackfoot passed away," Deadfoot suggested. Tigerclaw nodded politely.

"After that huge sickness," Tigerclaw added, "I wouldn't be surprised if even an elder became-"

And then a shape pushed through the crowd and sat down next to Leopardfur, underneath Nightstar. Leopardfur bristled, and the fur along Tigerclaw's spine rose.

"No way," he heard Deadfoot breathe in his ear. The new deputy only grinned smugly. Nightstar obviously sensed the tension among the ThunderClan cats and began the Gathering.

"Let the Gathering begin!" he bellowed. His voice grew hoarse after only a few words. "ShadowClan will go first. Recently, it's been very confusing," he admitted, though his eyes shone fiercely. Leopardfur rolled her eyes, and Tigerclaw stifled a laugh. "Brokenstar was said to be dead, when Blackfoot caught a deadly bout of greencough and could not make it to the Moonstone. I went instead to receive nine lives."

Tigerclaw exchanged a glance with Leopardfur. Nighstar didn't look like he had been granted nine lives, in fact, he looked as if StarClan had _taken_ life from him. His ribs showed visibly beneath his dull black coat, and a faint wheeze was audible behind his frail tone.

"So," Nightstar went on, "after I returned, Cinderfur became deputy. However, he passed away after a battle against ThunderClan and WindClan."

A grave silence swept the Clans. Even Leopardfur and Crookedstar looked slightly uncomfortable at the mention of last night's battle.

"At dawn this morning, we found our former leader on his last life, almost dead on our borders," Nightstar went on, glaring at Bluestar. "It appears ThunderClan held him hostage."  
The Clans yowled angrily, and Bluestar leapt to her paws. "That's half the truth!" she snarled in defense. "He was here until you stopped your pointless war with us, until he escaped!"  
Nightstar's eyes slitted. "And what did you think he would do?"  
Bluestar's lip curled, but decided it wasn't worth it and sat back down, flicking her tail for silence.

Nightstar went on. "Anyway, as he only had one life left, he was welcomed back into our Clan and ranked up, of course." Tigerclaw's toes went numb, and was well aware of the ThunderClan and WindClan cats bristling.

Nightstar took a deep breath. "Brokentail is the new deputy of ShadowClan."

 **Finally, a chapter! So which character would you like to see more of? Of course Fireheart will become more important, as I already have the plot and stuff written down, but there is room for appearances. :) Again, I'm sorry for the quick pacing of this story, I'm cramming a whole arc into about twenty chapters. Thanks~**


	12. Chapter 12

**Scarlet Vow: Yeah, thanks for the review! :D**

 **Snowcrystal of thunderclan: No no no you didn't sound mean at all! Thank you for the spam of reviews!  
Childish 'paw: Not this litter, nah :p I'm still debating on them being born at all, because I really don't like Sasha. Plus there's really no good time for her to come in the picture. I'll try to have something, though. **

"Tigerclaw, you can come in now. You have a daughter and a son."  
Tigerclaw purred gratefully at Spottedleaf's exhausted yet alive tone. "Thank you," he rasped. She nodded, then stepped aside and ushered him into the nursery.

Only a half-moon had passed since the Gathering, and Goldenflower had felt excruciating pain from the kits. Tigerclaw was worried, but Spottedleaf and Cinderpaw - Cinderpelt, now - insisted it was nothing.

After a long wait - Tigerclaw wasn't sure if heartbeats or hours had passed - he ducked into the cool nursery. It had a musky smell, and Goldenflower's fur was rumpled, but two tiny kits were latched onto her belly. Ashkit, Fernkit, and Cloudkit were in the back, shielded by the gray back of Brindleface. They peered over her in wonder as Tigerclaw approached Goldenflower and gently rubbed his cheek to her own.

"How did it go?" he murmured. Goldenflower purred a rumbling, relieved purr.

"It went fine," she insisted. A pause passed between them, and Goldenflower glanced up at the deputy with wide yellow eyes. Then she was all for the kits; her eyes never flickered from them. The bigger one had a dark brown tabby pelt, so similar to Tigerclaw's, and the leaner, smaller kit had a pale tortoiseshell coat. In that moment, Tigerclaw knew he would die for them. And so would Goldenflower. She blinked at them lovingly. "They're beautiful."

"Have you thought of names?" Tigerclaw queried, leaning over and careful not to step on them. Goldenflower tipped her head to the side.

"I had some in mind," she revealed. "Perhaps we could both name one?"

Tigerclaw purred. "That sounds great. Would you like to name the she-kit?"  
A wide grin spread across Goldenflower's face. Her fluffy tail traced over the small she-kit, who rolled over. Her eyes were still squeezed shut. "Her name is Tawnykit," she murmured. Tigerclaw smiled as Tawnykit squeaked and scooted closer to Goldenflower's light ginger fur.

Tigerclaw looked at his other kit, the bigger one. He and his kit looked alike in so many ways; perhaps even the kit's eyes would be amber. Deep down inside he wanted to name him Tigerkit (which father wouldn't, naturally), but felt a pulling towards something else. Something more soothing, in a way. His mind flashed to the camp barriers, bramble and blackberry bushes twining around in a thick protection.

"His name will be Bramblekit," he meowed. Goldenflower grinned.

"I like that," she meowed. They watched fondly in silence as Bramblekit and Tawnykit rolled around, squeaking. Suddenly Tigerclaw caught another voice coming from the thin screen of the nursery.

"You're a medicine cat, aren't you?" the voice snarled. "You can tell StarClan!" Tigerclaw recognized it with a flare of anger. _Fireheart._

"We do not control StarClan," came Spottedleaf's gentle voice of reason. "Even if they were to send us a prophecy, that's not something we would tell the rest of the Clan."  
"That's not what I'm asking," Fireheart hissed. Tigerclaw saw his orange tail lash angrily outside. Spottedleaf reeled back.

"You want me to fake a sign," she stated flatly. Fireheart hissed.

"No!" he snapped. "ShadowClan keeps telling me I'm a savior. Of you can convince StarClan - and Bluestar - that I can save all the Clans, maybe I can resolve this conflict."

"There's no conflict to resolve!" Spottedleaf growled. Tigerclaw sensed her growing impatience and looked down at Goldenflower.

"I'll be back," he promised. She only nodded.

Tigerclaw crept around the side of the nursery, pressed against the wall until he saw Spottedleaf's back not far ahead.

"You think this is peace?" Fireheart taunted. "You don't know peace unless there's one Clan where everyone gets along under one leader, not this cruel fight for the top. Even ThunderClan can't get along under one leader."  
Spottedleaf leaned in until her nose was almost touching Fireheart's. "That's because you came," she snarled. In a flash, Fireheart's paw came up, unsheathed, and grazed Spottedleaf's face. Tigerclaw jumped back in surprise. The medicine cat stumbled back, shaking droplets of blood from her face.

"What are you planning to do for the Clans?" she taunted, though her amber eyes were round with fear. "Rule them all? Put them under the leadership of a kittypet?"

A wry smiled crossed Fireheart's face. "How'd you guess?" he crowed.

Spottedleaf curled her lip. "And what makes you think I'm going to help you?" she spat. Another few drops of blood spewed from her mouth. Fireheart tipped his head to the side.

"Because medicine cats can't fight," he growled. His claws unsheathed and he began to knead the dry grass impatiently. "You don't want to get hurt, do you? And certainly, you wouldn't want Cinderpelt hurt?" Spottedleaf's eyes widened. Fireheart had hit a soft spot. He leaned in menacingly.

"I've nearly killed her before," he growled. "Don't make me do it again."  
Spottedleaf laughed a shaking, horrified laugh. "No one will ever let you get away with this," she warned. Fireheart's shoulders straightened.

"Bluestar loves me," he insisted. "She wouldn't want me gone anytime soon. Sandstorm, Ravenflight, I have an army of supporters who don't know what they're supporting yet. Who knows, I've heard praise of a deputyship in my future."

"Tigerclaw," Spottedleaf rasped. "What are you going to do with him?"  
"Tigerclaw?" Fireheart mused. Then he laughed harshly. "I'm not doing anything to him. However-" he added, raising an unsheathed claw, "-if anyone hears about what I told you, you know what's going to happen." He waved his paw in the air in front of her face tauntingly. Spottedleaf whacked it out of the air with her own paw and snarled.

"Try me," she growled. Then she sauntered off, shouldering past Tigerclaw. He winced at the blood that dribbled down her face.

Fireheart caught sight of Tigerclaw immediately. The two toms stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before a gray shape hurled from dirtplace in a frantic blur.

"You have to help me!" he bleated to them. Graystripe's eyes were wide and frantic. "Silverstream is giving birth! And something's going wrong!"  
Tigerclaw's ears flipped up. "Yours?"

Graystripe rolled his eyes. "Yes, they're mine," he meowed. "Now come on! There isn't a medicine cat!"  
"Fireheart, grab Spottedleaf or Cinderpelt," Tigerclaw instructed. "Graystripe, I'll go with you."

Graystripe nodded thankfully and turned back around. Fireheart's eyes narrowed at Tigerclaw before he sprinted off. Tigerclaw followed Graystripe wordlessly through ThunderClan territory and onto Sunningrocks, where a sleek silver shape bobbed into view. Tigerclaw's nose scrunched up at the tang of blood.

"Fireheart is getting a medicine cat," Graystripe promised Silverstream as they approached and scrambled to a halt. Silverstream didn't seem to hear him. She seemed like she was in a daze. Graystripe turned to Tigerclaw.

"Goldenflower gave birth today, right?" he meowed quickly. Tigerclaw's eyes widened.

"Yeah, but-"  
Graystripe sighed in relief. "Good, then you know what to do."  
Tigerclaw's mouth opened in protest. "I didn't watch!"  
Graystripe whirled back around angrily. "Did you watch enough to know that this-" he spat, waving his tail at the bloody mess pooling around Silverstream, "-isn't right?"

"Well-" A low moan cut Tigerclaw off. Silverstream gave a horrible scream, and Graystripe panicked.

"I can see one!" he screeched. Tigerclaw swung his head around frantically.

"Goldenflower had a stick!" he realized. He looked around for a good-sized stick when he found one nearby the woods. He placed it by Silverstream's head and watched with satisfaction as she bit down until it splintered. Graystripe let out a relieved exhale.

"It's almost out!" he reported, looking up at Tigerclaw. His face teemed with worry. "What do I do once it-"

"There will be a sac," Tigerclaw responded, trying desperately to remember what Spottedleaf had told Cinderpelt while he paced outside. "You have to open it."  
"Um," Graystripe replied. A heartbeat later, Tigerclaw saw a dark gray shape slide onto the rocks.

"We forgot moss!" Graystripe shrieked. "Oh, StarClan, no, it's going to get cold-"

"Put it up against her belly!" Tigerclaw hollered. Leaning down to Silverstream, he added in a soft voice, "You're doing great. You got one out."

"I still have one more," she grunted around the stick. Her eyes rolled in her head wildly. "I don't know if I can do this for much longer."

"You have to!" Tigerclaw growled. "Push!"  
Silverstream's crystal-blue eyes surged with determination as she bit down on the stick until it snapped. Tigerclaw threw another one her way. Her eyes squeezed shut, and Tigerclaw saw tears beginning to dribble down her cheeks. With a final, triumphant push of effort, Tigerclaw heard Graystripe's shriek as the final kit slid out.

The world around Tigerclaw went silence. He paced from Silverstream's head to her belly, where the two newborn kits mewled. Her entire lower half, the kits included, were slathered with blood.

"Something's wrong," Graystripe wheezed. His voice was hoarse from screaming. "There shouldn't be this much blood, Tigerclaw. Oh, StarClan, Silverstream," he wheezed, creeping up to her head and gently touching his nose to hers. Tigerclaw felt a pang in his heart for the gray tom.

"We're here!" came Cinderpelt's voice. She hobbled into view, and gasped upon seeing the bloodied body of Silverstream. Fireheart followed, eyes narrowed.

"You brought Cinderpelt?" Tigerclaw snarled accusingly. "She can't run!"  
"I brought herbs," the gray she-cat meowed ignoring him. She handed a kit to Tigerclaw and the other one to Fireheart. "Lick their fur the wrong way," she insisted rapidly. "Get the blood flowing."  
"What about Silverstream?" Graystripe rasped. Cinderpelt made her way over to the exhausted queen, who was making an odd wheezing sound.

"Uh, working on that," she muttered. Tigerclaw placed his kit - a tiny silver she-kit - down on the moss Cinderpelt had dropped and saw Fireheart do the same, wordlessly.

"Graystripe," Silverstream murmured, grazing his cheek with her own. "I'm sorry I won't live to see my kits. You will be a wonderful father."

"Don't say that!" Graystripe insisted. "You're going to be fine!" But even his voice broke. Silverstream smiled bittersweetly.

"I love you," she whispered. "And I'm so glad I got to be your mate. Our kits are going to be beautiful." She took in a deep, shaking breath. "Goodbye, my love."  
Then her head fell.

A ghostly wail pierced the air. Graystripe stumbled back, breathing heavily. "Silverstream!" he hollered. He shook her head gently with his paw. "SILVERSTREAM!"

Tigerclaw rested his tail comfortingly on Graystripe's back. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "She's gone."  
Graystripe crumpled to the ground. His paws covered his head as he sobbed miserably. Tigerclaw felt like he had been stabbed in the heart. _No cat deserves to watch their mate die like that._

Cinderpelt took a few steps back from the dead queen.

"I could have saved her," she whispered in horror. "I was too late."  
"That's not your fault," Tigerclaw insisted, stepped forward and glaring at Fireheart. Cinderpelt shook her head and sniffled.

"I could have saved her," she repeated miserably. She looked utterly crushed. The young medicine cat tried to look at Silverstream, but instead winced and looked at her paws. "Where do we bury her?"

"In RiverClan," came Graystripe's muffled response. "Next to the kits."  
An awkward silence passed. Cinderpelt and Tigerclaw exchanged a glance before Cinderpelt stepped forward, head down.

"Graystripe," she meowed carefully. "You have two healthy kits."

Slowly, one paw raised and exposed Graystripe's red-tinged eyes. "They're alive?" he replied in astonishment. Cinderpelt nodded and smiled slightly.

"A tom and a she-cat," she announced quietly. Slowly, Graystripe rose to his paws. He shook with every step, but made his way over to them. He laughed shakily as he touched noses with the tom.

"Goldenflower would happily nurse them," Tigerclaw suggested. "Provided we explain what happened to the Clan."  
Graystripe sighed. "It had to happen sometime," he reassured himself. "Let's go."

On the way back, Graystripe hung near the back. Fireheart was at the front, with the she-kit, and Cinderpelt next to him with the tom. They had buried Silverstream by the rocks and under the dirt, with a beautiful view of the river. They hadn't told RiverClan yet, and honestly, Tigerclaw wasn't ready to.

Tigerclaw trailed back to Graystripe and nodded at him.

"Are you ready?" he whispered. "To give them to the Clan?"

Graystripe sighed. "I guess I have to be," he confessed. "It's all I've thought about since she told me she was having kits."  
Tigerclaw nodded in understanding. "Goldenflower will love those kits like they're her own," he promised. "Nothing is going to harm your kits, I promise."

Graystripe smiled. "Thank you," he meowed. "It means a lot."  
"If you ever need someone to talk to, you know which nest is mine," Tigerclaw meowed, gently rubbing his shoulder against Graystripe's. "I'll always be here."

And Graystripe smiled.

 **I feel like Spottedleaf could have had potential as an i-look-pretty-but-i-will-cut-you character. What do you all think about how I write Spottedleaf and Tigerclaw? The next chapter will be pretty long, as it's one of the most important chapters in the story yet. Stay tuned!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Scarlet Vow: right? Everyone says Silverstream was underdeveloped (which she was) but man, her death was sad. It was the first emotional death in the series.**  
 **Snowcrystal of thunderclan: I hope so. It all depends on how busy I am.**  
 **AnotherSideOfTheMoon: thank you! :D**  
 **screaming LOUDLY: yeah, Bluestar's crazy. Nothing new. :P**  
 **FeatherSunfire: They really missed an opportunity with Spottedleaf… thanks for the review**

"Cloudkit, from this moment on, you will be known as Cloudpaw. Your mentor will be Fireheart."

Tigerclaw watched as Cloudpaw reached up eagerly to touch noses with his flame-colored mentor. Fireheart's eyes shone, but Cloudpaw shrunk away as soon as the meeting disbanded and went to congratulate Fernpaw and Ashpaw, his adopted siblings.

"Are we ready to show them the territory?" Dustpelt, Ashpaw's mentor, meowed. Ashpaw and Fernpaw exchanged a thrilled glance. Cloudpaw only offered a weak smile as Fireheart nudged him. Tigerclaw narrowed his eyes. Cloudpaw wasn't showing a huge interest towards Fireheart.

Darkstripe, Fernpaw's mentor, seemed to notice this too. "Let's all go in a group," he suggested wisely. Cloudpaw's expression lifted a tiny bit.

"You all can leave in a minute," Tigerclaw exclaimed suddenly, bounding up to the group. He gave Fireheart a pretentious glare, and the ginger cat's hackles rose. "I need Cloudpaw's help for a minute."

Fireheart opened his mouth to argue, but Darkstripe cut him off.

"Okay, Tigerclaw," he meowed simply, flicking his tail. "We'll be waiting by the entrance."

With one final exchange of glares, Fireheart followed the rest of the group, leaving Cloudpaw behind.

"So what do you need help with?" the white tom quipped, shaking his pelt off. Tigerclaw paused.

"Um, I need help storing some extra fresh-kill away to keep it from getting stolen by birds," he muttered, cursing inwardly at his horrible quick thinking. Cloudpaw tipped his head to the side but said nothing as the big tabby led him over to the pile. He clawed through the older prey nonchalantly, and watched as Cloudpaw dragged out a squirrel.

"Is this good to store?" the white tom asked.

"Yeah, that's great," Tigerclaw praised. Cloudpaw beamed. The brown tom watched for a short moment before clearing his throat. "So how do you like your new mentor?"

Cloudpaw's whiskers drooped, and Tigerclaw nearly missed it. "Good," he lied. Tigerclaw's eyebrow rose.

"It's okay to not like your mentor," he said.

"But he's my mother's brother," Cloudpaw sighed, tossing aside a sparrow. "He's the only kin I have here. I can't _not_ like him."

"My father was almost the only kin I had," Tigerclaw pointed out, "and I wasn't fond of him, either."

Cloudpaw looked up at him. "I heard what Fireheart told Spottedleaf," he blurted. Tigerclaw reeled back. "Through the nursery walls, when Bramblekit and Tawnykit were born. Last moon."

"You heard?" Tigerclaw whispered, leaning down. Cloudpaw nodded. His eyes rounded in fear.

"Would he really do that to her?" he whispered. "Would he merge ThunderClan and all the others?"

"What do you believe?" Tigerclaw asked, delicately throwing dirt atop the small mound of prey. Cloudpaw looked down at his paws.

"I think he's insane," he concluded quietly. Tigerclaw placed his paw on Cloudpaw's shoulder gently.

"You're not alone," he confessed. "If something about Fireheart ever strikes you as odd, you can tell me. Especially since he's your mentor. You'll have your eye on him a lot."

Cloudpaw's face brightened. "So I'm like spy?" he squeaked, leaning in to keep his voice low. Tigerclaw grinned.

"Yes, a spy!" he replied. "But you can't tell anyone about this, okay? Especially not Fireheart."

Cloudpaw nodded importantly before turning towards his patrol, which waited patiently atop the hill. Tigerclaw waved a polite goodbye to him before heading over to his second stop: Spottedleaf's den.

"Hey," he murmured gently upon approaching. Cinderpelt was snoring gently in the corner, and Spottedleaf was sorting sweet-smelling leaves. She gave him a nod in greeting.

"What's up?" she asked briskly. She did not turn to face him. Tigerclaw realized with a start that she was hiding the left side of her face - the side that Fireheart scratched.

"I know what he did to you," Tigerclaw meowed gravely. Spottedleaf's eyes slowly began to widen. "He's telling you that he's StarClan's chosen one because of some ShadowClan cats. He wants to rule the forest. Cloudpaw saw him lash out, too."

Spottedleaf blinked, and for the first time Tigerclaw saw tears glimmer in her eyes. "Bluestar won't believe me," she whispered. "Stubborn old cat; just because _she_ chose to invite Fireheart to the Clan doesn't mean he's some special prophecy cat."

"But I've been thinking; what if he is?" Tigerclaw whispered. A long silence hung int he air before Spottedleaf replied.

"What do you mean?" she whispered. She turned her head to face him, and Tigerclaw winced. A long, ugly scar traced from her left ear to her left cheek, and her eye was partially closed.

"I mean, what if it's really his destiny to go save ShadowClan?" he suggested, trying not to look at her eye. Spottedleaf hissed.

"But that's not what he wants!" she nearly cried. "Did you listen at all? He wants to have all the Clans. He think's he's right. He thinks he's reforming us. But he is wrong."

Spottedleaf took a step closer to Tigerclaw and gently pressed her muzzle into his chest. "What are we going to do?" she whispered.

Tigerclaw pulled away. "I have an idea," he said flatly. "But you're going to have to tell me how many lives Bluestar is on."

Spottedleaf jerked her head back. "That's a secret between the medicine cats and the leader themselves," she protested.

"I know, but you have to trust me," Tigerclaw pleaded. "If we can get Fireheart to believe she only has one left, then maybe he'll try to kill her, and she'll exile him. Then she'll pass it on to the other Clans."

"But what if he goes to ShadowClan?" Spottedleaf fretted. "I know for a fact they'll welcome him."

"But if he tries to take over the other Clans," Tigerclaw pointed out, "no one will join. Not when he was exiled for attempted murder." A silence greeted his words. Spottedleaf placed her leaves on the ground, wounded eye gleaming sadly.

"Two," she finally sighed. "Bluestar has two lives left." Tigerclaw's ears flipped in up surprise.

"Only two?" he gasped. "I thought she had, like, five."

"Which is why we don't tell other cats," Spottedleaf huffed. She glanced outside to see the patrol returning, Fireheart and Cloudpaw at the back. Tigerclaw jerked his head outside.

"There they are," he whispered. "Remember: Bluestar only has "one" life. And talk loudly enough for Fireheart to hear."

Spottedleaf nodded importantly before stepping cautiously into the sunlight. "It's time you start taking this Clan seriously," Spottedleaf hissed to Tigerclaw. For a moment he was stunned at the ferocity in her eyes, before he realized she was acting. "You'll be leader soon, for StarClan's sake."

"You don't know that," Tigerclaw retorted. A few heads had turned, but many cats tuned them out. Fireheart hadn't looked over yet, as he was still deep in conversation with Dustpelt. "Bluestar still has a long life ahead of her."

Spottedleaf shook her head sadly. "She lost a life only last sunrise to her sickness. She's recovered, but she's on her last life."

Tigerclaw snuck a glance at Fireheart. The orange tom was noticeably closer, and though he hadn't looked at them, his ears perked. He leaned down to Cloudpaw, his apprentice, who listened closely. Then he snuck a swift glance over at Bluestar's den before heading over to the fresh-kill pile and settling down next to Sandstorm.

"Are you sure he heard us?" Spottedleaf asked doubtfully. Tigerclaw smirked, gaze not leaving Fireheart.

"Positive," he replied confidently. "I'm going to give Fireheart about an hour to leave camp and make up some scheme. So now.."

"We wait," Spottedleaf finished in exasperation. "Shouldn't Graystripe be in on this, too? After all, he knows Fireheart better than the two of us combined."

Tigerclaw shook his head. "I wouldn't count on that. Fireheart told Graystripe more lies than leaves in the forest. Plus, he has Featherkit and Stormkit to think of."

Spottedleaf sighed and nodded. "You haven't been wrong so far, Tigerclaw," she responded quietly. "And I trust you. We'll give him an hour."

* * *

An hour came and went. Tigerclaw had retreated to the nursery and was playing with Tawnykit and Bramblekit absently. They had both opened their eyes, both a brilliant blue, and batted at his paw as he raised it up and down. Goldenflower watched fondly from a distance with Featherkit and Stormkit pressed into her thick fur. Featherkit had opened her eyes, but remained clinging to her brother and only talking to Goldenflower and Graystripe.

"Bramblekit will be quite the hunter," Tigerclaw commented as the little brown kit took a tremendous leap at his tail. Tawnykit looked up at him, milky blue eyes round. He licked her head gently. "And you will be even better," he whispered, "but don't tell your brother that."

Tawnykit grinned at his words and leapt back at Bramblekit, sending them flying away. Goldenflower chuckled lightly.

"They've been playing nonstop ever since they woke up!" she exclaimed.

"Consider yourself lucky," Willowpelt added, grazing her tongue over her light gray pelt. She had just recently moved to the nursery, bloated from her third litter of kits. Behind her, Speckletail nodded in agreement.

Speckletail, a queen with two older kits, Snowkit and Mistlekit, was soon going to retire. This litter was her last. Soon, her kits would be apprenticed, though the lingering fact that Snowkit could not hear was still an issue. Speckletail denied it with all of her being, but it had been proven countless times by Spottedleaf. Perhaps he would be mentored by Brackenfur. The tom had an extreme amount of patience.

"Hawks are circling overhead," Tigerclaw commented, glancing up at the sky. "Remember to keep your kits back, Goldenflower." Nodding at Speckletail, he added, "six kits must look like an easy meal to them."

As the queens nodded importantly, Spottedleaf poked her head in the den.

"Hey Tigerclaw!" she quipped, eyes glimmering. "Just here to give you an update on the kits!"

Goldenflower opened her mouth, but Spottedleaf grabbed Tigerclaw quite roughly and yanked him out of the nursery.

"Fireheart's gone," she whispered gravely.

"What?" Tigerclaw replied. "Where?"

Spottedleaf hissed and rolled her eyes, more angry at herself than Tigerclaw. "I don't know," she said in a low voice. "I went to check on Cinderpelt for a heartbeat and then he was gone. I think he was waiting for us to get distracted."

"Is Ravenflight in camp?" Tigerclaw asked, swinging his head around. The lithe black tom was nowhere in sight. Spottedleaf shook her head.

"No sign of him either," she reported.

"Hey Tigerclaw!" came Goldenflower's muffled meow from inside the den. "What's she saying? Are the kits okay?"

Tigerclaw cleared his voice in embarrassment and rose his voice an octave. "Oh, they're brilliant!" he lied. Spottedleaf exhaled in relief. "Spottedleaf says they're the healthiest she's ever seen!"

This comment resulted in a snort from Speckletail, but Goldenflower merely purred.

"Look," Spottedleaf growled, "if we don't find him soon, the bottom line is-"

"Tigerclaw! Spottedleaf!" Tigerclaw looked down to see Cloudpaw bouncing towards them, blue eyes wide.

"Oh, thank StarClan," Tigerclaw breathed. He leaned down to the apprentice and began to whisper.

"That's what I'm warning you about," Cloudpaw meowed. Just then, a distant rumbling coming from the woods, coming closer and closer. Then the brambles trembled, and cats whirled around, unsheathing their claws.

Then, as two cats emerged, Tigerclaw recognized Ravenflight's dark pelt and Fireheart's ginger one. Both cats looked exhausted, like they ran through the whole forest twice.

"ShadowClan!" Fireheart huffed, leaning over out of breath. Bluestar emerged from her den, confusion and concern plastered across her face. "ShadowClan are on ThunderClan territory!"

"And they're coming with unsheathed claws!" Ravenflight finished with wide green eyes. Spottedleaf leaned over to Tigerclaw.

"Cats can't run with unsheathed claws," she muttered. Tigerclaw rolled his eyes.

"Leave it to Ravenflight," he replied dryly.

Bluestar was staring at the toms, eyes bulging. "Are you sure?" she finally managed. Fireheart nodded sharply. Bluestar opened her mouth, hesitating. But she never got the chance to speak.

Instead, Brokentail cut her off.

"ShadowClan, attack!"

At once, a blur of foul-smelling cats squeezed through the barrier, yowling and flinging themselves in every direction. Spottedleaf tensed against Tigerclaw.  
"Get Cinderpelt and protect the nursery," he instructed gravely. "Look's like Fireheart's brought company."

Spottedleaf nodded importantly before dashing off. Tigerclaw braced himself as a tomcat lunged at him. He sideswiped the big tom's paw, but misjudged his level and felt the unsheathed claw smash across his face. Tigerclaw stumbled back and shook his head. The impact had stung. The ShadowClan cats had surely grown stronger within the last few moons.

"Why are you harassing ThunderClan?" Tigerclaw roared, bunching his haunches and leaping at the tom. The tom side stepped him swiflty.

"Because you have our prophecy," he retorted.

"Take him!" Tigerclaw snarled. "Look at what your Clan is doing!" As he jerked his head at the center of camp, he saw Russetfur and another tom fling Brindleface aside like a piece of fresh-kill. The queen jerked, blood welling at her throat and staining the ground. When she stopped rolling, she did not return to her paws. Ashpaw's broken wail told Tigerclaw everything.

"She was a queen," Tigerclaw growled. His voice broke ever so slightly at the sound of her kits realizing she wasn't moving. "What monsters kill a queen?"

"What monsters steal cats?" The tom replied snarkily. Tigerclaw gave a roar before leaping at the tom, bowling tom over. The tom rolled onto his back, exposing his belly. Tigerclaw raked his claws down his fur, grinning in satisfaction as the tom howled in pain. But as he lifted his claws from the blood-soaked fur, the tom only managed a wry smile.

"You gonna kill me, big guy?" he taunted. Tigerclaw merely leaned down until he was close to his ear.

"Real warriors don't kill," he growled. Raising his head, he added, "they just win!"

Then he plunged his claws down into the ShadowClan tom's face. There was an angry yowl as the tom scrambled out of Tigerclaw's grip and bolted. Tigerclaw barely saw the remnants of his torn up cheek before he was gone from ThunderClan territory.

Tigerclaw stumbled forward, pain still ringing in his left ear. _I have to warn Bluestar about Fireheart!_ He nearly tripped over Brindleface's body, and nearby, he saw the limp and bloodied pelt of Thornpaw. _They're showing no mercy, not even to apprentices and queens._

"Bluestar!" he roared. His ears were ringing, and he only made out part of Bluestar's figure among the wreckage. She looked utterly defeated; her pelt was stained with dried blood, and her eyes were weary. Then, out of nowhere, Brokentail plowed into her, rolled into her den with himself on top. Tigerclaw and Fireheart's eyes met before Fireheart bounded towards Bluestar's den. Fireheart beat him there.

Tigerclaw tried to follow the leader and deputy inside, but Brokentail guarded the entrance.

"This is between Fireheart and Bluestar," he growled.

"I know," said Tigerclaw simply. "And I'm fighting for Bluestar." With that, he shoved Brokentail aside.

"All this time," Fireheart was saying. His voice echoed across the cave walls. Bluestar stood on a pile of moss, chin up but legs trembling. "And finally, it's going to be worth it."

"What?" Bluestar whispered. Her eyes shone with hurt. Fireheart looked appalled.

"I'm shocked at you, Bluestar," he scolded. "You've known all this time. I am ShadowClan's prophecy. I am the fire!"

Bluestar flinched back. "They're lying," she meowed shakily. "It's getting to you, Fireheart. Are you telling me you're fighting for ShadowClan?"

"Some of you have known all along," he said simply. With that, he turned at Tigerclaw and winked. Tigerclaw bristled, but Brokentail stepped in front of him. "And some of you," Fireheart added, glancing at Bluestar, "are going to die, right now."

"I named you after the cat I loved," Bluestar spat. "You reminded me so much of him. That's why I fought for you, even when the rest of ThunderClan wouldn't." Her chin raised defiantly. "I thought you were better than this."

Fireheart shrugged. "You thought wrong. Now, after I save ShadowClan as I was destined to do so, I'm going to merge with ThunderClan, since you'll be of no use. And Tallstar loves me; he'll agree to my Clan. And RiverClan, they'll be outnumbered. They will join FireClan whether they like it or not!"

"You have no respect for tradition!" Bluestar growled. Fireheart shrugged.

"That's because I'm a kittypet," he replied. Then his lip curled, and Tigerclaw saw his claws unsheathe. "And now you're going to die."

Tigerclaw gave a bellow but could not move as Fireheart leapt at Bluestar. He watched as she did nothing, only accept her destiny and close her eyes.

She trusted him so much, and now her heart is broken.

With that though, Tigerclaw turned to Brokentail. The unsuspecting tom was watching Bluestar's death with a glint in his eye before Tigerclaw lunged at him, jaws drilling into his throat. Fireheart turned his head as Bluestar dropped only to see Brokentail fling out of the entrance.

"He should have been paying attention," Tigerclaw meowed steadily, glaring at Fireheart.

"You're next," Fireheart warned. "The minute Brokentail wakes-"

"Hold on a second," Tigerclaw interrupted. He tipped his head to the side, pretending to look confused. "I don't think it's fair, having two on one?"

"Too bad," Fireheart snarled. Tigerclaw grinned and straightened his shoulders.

"I didn't mean for me," he replied. Fireheart's eyes widened. He turned around slowly to see Bluestar, the gash on her neck perfectly healed, rising from the dead on her final life. Angrily, he spun around to face Tigerclaw.

"You said she was on her last life!" he snapped. Tigerclaw shrugged.

"Mind your own business," he suggested. As he spoke, a caterwaul resounded from outside.

"ShadowClan!" came Nightstar's screechy voice. "Retreat!"

Tigerclaw watched apathetically as Brokentail rose to his paws and crawled away, glaring at Tigerclaw.

"Uh oh," came another voice from outside. Darkstripe sauntered in, waggling his eyebrows at Fireheart. "Looks like it's three on one."

"Four on one," Longtail added, sliding up beside his friend. He and Tigerclaw exchanged a nod.

"Five on one," Cloudpaw growled, appearing beside the other two cats. He glared at Fireheart furiously. "You killed my mother."

Fireheart stepped backwards nervously. "You have no right to say that. I didn't lay a paw on your - oh, _not even your real mother_!" Cloudpaw flinched, and Fireheart didn't care. "Yes, I planned the battle and yes I so-called killed Bluestar. But that's because you're all a bunch of lying, horribly kittypets!"

A silence greeted his words. Grinning, Fireheart stepped forward. "That's right. I used the word," he went on. "ShadowClan is the only Clan that hasn't treated me like an outsider. I am the prophecy! I could make them great!"

The cats began to lean towards the traitor, claws unsheathed, when Bluestar's voice stopped every single one of them.

"Then go." Heads turned her way, Fireheart's included. Bluestar was sitting down calmly. She nodded slightly at the ginger tom. "Go to ShadowClan. Get out of ThunderClan. You are no longer welcome here."

Fireheart's eyes narrowed. "And if I return?"

"My warriors have permission to kill you on sight," Bluestar replied evenly. Fireheart nodded slowly before trailing out of the den in defeat. A path parted for him as his disappeared from sight.

"Longtail, Darkstripe, follow him," Tigerclaw commanded. "Make sure he's gone."

The two toms nodded importantly. Bluestar's den cleared, leaving only Tigerclaw and the gray leader. Immediately, she fell into a fit of coughing. Tigerclaw winced as blood spewed from her mouth.

"Bluestar," he murmured. "He's gone. I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's not your fault," she responded weakly. "It's mine. I didn't listen."

"Bluestar, don't take this upon yourself," Tigerclaw soothed as she was racked by another coughing it. "You exiled him, and now it's time to announce that to the Clan."

Bluestar shook her head, looking up at Tigerclaw feebly. "You know I can't do that, Tigerclaw. I'm on my last life. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this up?"

"Keep what up?"

"Living," she replied, breaking off in a wheeze. Tigerclaw's ears flipped up. He was suddenly concerned for the leader's health.

"But StarClan healed you!" he insisted. "Aren't you okay now?"

Bluestar shook her head miserably. "I'm old, Tigerclaw. I'm weak. They can't fix that. I got bitten pretty badly." She moved her paw, exposing a thick red blotch of blood. Tigerclaw gasped.

Then she fell on her side, coughing painful-sounding coughs. Her eyes and her flickering tail were the only signs that she was still alive.

"Fireheart is evil, and insane," she said softly. "And maybe in ThunderClan's eyes he lost. But in my eyes, he succeeded. He finished his plan. He killed his leader."

"Bluestar, no," Tigerclaw whispered, gently prodding the leader with his forepaw.

"Take care of my Clan, Tigerclaw," she murmured. Her eyelids began to droop, as if she were tired. Tigerclaw felt panic flutter in his belly. "I can almost see my kit again."

"Stay with me," Tigerclaw pleaded, kneading Bluestar's gray fur with his paws. "Please!"

But she did not move.

Instead, a dull silence chilled Tigerclaw to the bone as her breathing stopped, and a gentle white spirit lifted to the ceiling.

Then she was gone.

 **Ugh, finally. My account glitched last night and wouldn't let me post. This is the longest chapter by far soo… hope it was worth the wait! :D**

 **EDIT: I went back and fixed this chapter, so hopefully the glitch is no longer there. Sorry about that!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Snowcrystal of thunderclan: ikr! Weird changes! :D**

 **Mistress1296: good! :p**

 **FeatherSunfire: Thank you!**

 **Scarlet Vow: You'll have to wait and see! The ending still isn't (that) close!  
Walkswithwheels: the canon series was a little weird, but then again, so is this story lol. I think the only supporters of Fireheart right now are Sandstorm and Ravenflight, but I'm not sure. Also I had to post the last chapter from a tablet because i was having technology issues. That will be the only weird chapter, fear not!**

 **Goldskies: thank you for the multiple reviews! They are much appreciated!**

 **This chapter is kind of short, but ah well. :p**

Tigerclaw stumbled out of Bluestar's den, still stunned from her announcement. The Clan turned to him, licking their wounds. He saw Spottedleaf and Cinderpelt, scrambling around the clearing to check their Clanmate's wounds. Ashpaw and Fernpaw were gently prodding Brindleface's body, trying desperately to wake her up, but Whitestorm pulled them away sadly. As he broke away from the den, every cat went silent. A dozen eyes landed on Tigerclaw.

"Bluestar is dead," he spluttered. At once, yowls followed his words. Ears flattened in fear and eyes went wide. He was bombarded with open questions.

"Bluestar is _dead_?"

"Was she murdered?"  
"Did Fireheart kill her? Is that why he left?"

"Fireheart left? Why?"

"Did _you_ kill her?"

A silence swept across the clearing as the question was left unanswered. Tigerclaw's pelt prickled. _They don't believe I killed her, do they?_

"Of course not." Ah, Whitestorm's voice. The white warrior hopped up beside Tigerclaw and lashed his tail to silence the muttering. Tigerclaw felt a wave of relief. He nodded at his friend gratefully, and the white tom returned it before facing the Clan. "I overheard what happened in Bluestar's den. You have nothing to fear from Tigerclaw. If you would like proof, ask Darkstripe, Longtail, and Cloudpaw."

Tigerclaw found the three toms in the crowd, all of whom nodded. Gaining confidence, Tigerclaw stepped forward. "If some of you are confused, let me educate you. This battle was planned with Fireheart, along with ShadowClan, in secret," he revealed darkly. Gasps followed his words. Even Sandstorm's green eyes rounded. "He's been planning to take over ThunderClan for months. Cinderpelt, what happened to you was no accident. In fact, his intentions now are clearer than ever: to kill me."

Another round of gasps. Cinderpelt hobbled forward. Her mouth moved, but no sounds came out.

"And Fireheart knew he could get away with anything because Bluestar liked him so much," Tigerclaw went on. "So Spottedleaf and I lied and said she had only one life - in actuality she had two - and he attacked only hours later." Tigerclaw bowed his head. "I was in there, when he confessed everything. She exiled him once she came back on her last life. Unfortunately, she passed away from injury only moments later."

A silence followed his words, but this time it was out of respect.

"Fireheart is no longer welcome on ThunderClan territory," he finished. Ravenflight hissed, but Sandstorm merely drew him back with her tail. Tigerclaw caught her glare, and guilt was almost teeming from her. "Anyone who wishes to follow him may speak up now and leave."

No cat spoke. Tigerclaw tipped his head at Ravenflight, whose eyes rounded in mock innocence. _I know this was you, too. I've got my eye on you._ Behind the wiry black tom, Graystripe exchanged a nod with Tigerclaw. The gray tom had gotten happier over the past few months since Silverstream's death, and Tigerclaw knew he and Fireheart had only history between them.

Oh, development.

The night was freezing, but Tigerclaw had never felt warmer. He almost couldn't believe the day had happened: Fireheart was exiled from ThunderClan, and Bluestar was dead.

The dignified gray leader was strewn by Tigerclaw's paws, smelling of sweet lavender instead of the tangy scent of blood and Fireheart's betrayal. Tigerclaw wasn't sure if he should speak any words for her, as most of the Clan was silent.

Beside her was Brindleface's gray body, claws forever unsheathed. Tigerclaw remembered her rolling over, dead, very vividly, but the word sweeping the Clan was that she had gone out defending Fernpaw, her kit. Tigerclaw didn't doubt that. A queen with threatened kits was not one to mess with.

And last in the row of unmoving bodies was Thornpaw, the brother of Brackenfur, Brightpaw, and Cinderpelt. Tigerclaw was still unnerved at the fact that ShadowClan had mercilessly slaughtered an apprentice and a queen as he saw Brightpaw, Brackenfur, and Cinderpelt gather around the body of their brother, grief-stricken.

"Tigerclaw." Tigerclaw turned an ear at Whitestorm's gentle voice. In honor of Bluestar's death, Tigerclaw had appointed her nephew as deputy in his place. No cat was surprised, honestly; the white tom was one of the most respected warriors in ThunderClan. And though he grieved Bluestar deeply - he still held his head high. Whitestorm nudged his old friend in the shoulder gently. "I know this isn't really on your mind right now, but it's time to get your lives."  
Tigerclaw's fur rose at the reminder. _Nine lives!_ He thought. _I'm the leader of ThunderClan now._

"Of course," he meowed in reply, desperately trying to hide his excitement. "I'm counting on you to take care of the Clan while I'm gone."

Whitestorm nodded importantly as Tigerclaw excused himself. He caught sight of Spottedleaf's tortoiseshell pelt not far off. Her head was bent over Thornpaw.

"Spottedleaf," he murmured. "It's time."  
"Of course," she sighed. She gave the little apprentice's pelt one last touch before facing Tigerclaw with sadness in her gaze. "Are you ready?"  
The question struck Tigerclaw as odd. "I think," he replied honestly. Spottedleaf smiled, but it looked forced.

"If what you say is true - if Fireheart murdered Bluestar - then something tells me he's not done," she meowed quietly. Her whiskered quivered, illuminated in the moonlight. "So really, Tigerclaw, are you prepared for what he might do?"

"As ready as I can be," he growled, stalking past the medicine cat grimly. "Let's go."

Even though he had walked there a million times, the walk to the Moonstone felt like forever. The mountains were a jarring dove-gray against the navy sky, and at the horizon, bits of morning-pink were beginning to appear.

"Almost there," Spottedleaf promised. Her tail brushed Tigerclaw's cheek gently and she passed him, stepping towards a tunnel-looking cave.

"And this is safe?" Tigerclaw pondered aloud. Spottedleaf rolled her eyes in a friendly manner.

"Of course not," she replied sarcastically. "I come here every quarter moon, die a violent painful death, and come right back."

Tigerclaw let out a low whistle. "What a way to spend the evening."  
Spottedleaf laughed before ducking inside. Tigerclaw followed hesitantly. Only his whiskers gave him an idea of where he was going, and from the feel of it, he was cramped. A brief fear trickled through his fur - if he would get stuck - but Spottedleaf broke into a clearing with an exhale at just the right time.

"Here it is," she breathed. Tigerclaw emerged, setting his eyes on the glimmering white stone that shone in the late moonlight. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Tigerclaw only nodded in awe and padded towards the Moonstone hesitantly. He lay down beside it, suddenly overcome with the long day that was behind him. His eyelids drooped, and before he knew it, he was asleep against the frigid white rock.

"Tigerclaw. Welcome to StarClan."

Tigerclaw scrambled to his paws at his name. A dazzling white light blinded him momentarily before his amber eyes adjusted. He pelt Spottedleaf's pelt against his, and he looked at her. She only nodded forward, signifying to him to walk.

Tigerclaw took an apprehensive step forward in the gleaming golden grass. Ahead, a blur of countless cats stood before him, each gliding with the breeze and transparent with stars. Tigerclaw sucked in his breath. StarClan!

"I am glad you were chosen to be my successor," the same cat continued. Tigerclaw blinked before recognizing Bluestar's modest voice. He pranced up to her, overcome with joy at seeing his friend once again. But the glare of disapproval in her eyes stopped him.

"We are not here to greet you as friends," she warned him, stepping back. "That's a bit unfair to the cats who never see StarClan." Tigerclaw tipped his head to the side.

"But why not?" he pondered. His gaze swept the starry crowd, and he placed names to faces. "I can see everyone I lost, Bluestar - Lionheart, Redtail… you." Tigerclaw dipped his head. "I'm sorry."  
Bluestar smiled slightly. "I don't disagree with you." she murmured. Then she took a step forward, thrusting her nose out to touch his. "For your first life, I give you compassion," she announced. Her voice swept across the clearing, murmuring an echo in the tall grass. "I know you trust Fireheart as much as I do, but greater things are coming. Sometimes you mustn't let hatred run through you. Show compassion." As she spoke, her nose touch Tigerclaw's. He felt a wave of pain energize through his body, and every fur along his spine rise. The grass flattened with the fierce wind that followed. The pain ebbed away, and Bluestar stepped back.

"Will they all be like that?" Tigerclaw panted, leaning over. Bluestar shrugged.

"Some are worse then others," she confessed. Then the second cat took her place. Tigerclaw purred.

"Redtail," he greeted. "I've missed you."  
The tortoiseshell tom nodded eagerly. "As have I," he replied. "Although I would love to be in your spot, fate has a calling to each of us." He thrusted forward, almost having to reach up to reach Tigerclaw's cheek. "I give you a life of training young cats wisely. The youth is the next generation, the one to rise up after you are long gone. Respect them, and in turn, they will place their trust in you."

As he reached out to give Tigerclaw the life, the brown tom's image flashed to Goldenflower in the nursery. Bramblekit and Tawnykit pranced around her happily before their kit-selves were replaced by full-grown warriors. Tigerclaw stifled a gasp. Tawnykit was beautiful, like her mother, with the same lithe shape and thoughtful eyes. And Bramblekit bore a striking resemblance to his father, from his muscular tabby fur to his careful amber eyes. And Tigerclaw understood what Redtail meant - they were the future.

Redtail stepped back, grinning.

The next tom took his place, and Tigerclaw forced his fur to lie flat.

"Pinestar," he growled. There he was - his hatred of kittypets, his reason of scorn, and most importantly, his father. "I didn't know kittypets were allowed into StarClan."

Pinestar sighed a long, deep sigh. "I was always proud of the cat you grew into," he admitted, ignoring Tigerclaw's comment completely. "But your hatred of kittypets never left, not after all these years?"  
Tigerclaw licked his rumpled chest fur. "Well, Fireheart certainly helped with my love and devotion towards kittypets, didn't he?" he remarked sourly. Pinestar stepped forward, and Tigerclaw flinched.

"I give you a life for exploration beyond ThunderClan's borders," he meowed, thrusting out his muzzle. "There is so much more out there for you to explore."  
Tigerclaw took the life grudgingly. Tigerclaw hardly recognized the next two cats to step forward. In fact, he didn't even see them until he looked down. Two she-kits, one gray and one black, were below him, eagerly looking up with round blue eyes. Tigerclaw softened at the sight of them and crouched down. They ignored Bluestar's warning completely and tackled into him, nearly bowling him over.

"Don't you remember us?" the gray she-kit squeaked, eyes wide. "It's me Mistkit! And Nightkit!"

Tigerclaw gasped at the names. "My sisters!" he murmured, rolling over to his paws. Nightkit grinned eagerly.

"We get to give you lives!" she exclaimed, hardly containing her excitement. "I'm giving you one for understanding size isn't everything. Just because you're, like, huge, doesn't mean other cats don't matter too!"  
"Of course," Tigerclaw murmured, leaning down to touch his nose to Nightkit's. A small bit of pain flickered inside of him, but it quickly passed when Mistkit stepped in her sister's place.

"And I give you a life for pride in ThunderClan," she meowed. "No matter what happens soon, let ThunderClan know you have their backs - and you're proud to."  
She gave him the life and Tigerclaw meowed with appreciation as his sisters scurried away. He was, admittedly, sad to see them go. However, the next cat gave him a flicker of happiness.

"Lionheart!" he exclaimed. The golden tom purred, looking even more powerful in StarClan.

"I am so proud of you," Lionheart praised. His golden eyes glittered. "I would want no other cat to follow in my footsteps. With this life I give you strong faith in StarClan. You may not think you need it now, but the future is uncertain."  
Before Tigerclaw could ask what he meant, Lionheart pressed his nose to Tigerclaw's forehead. Yet another light swept through the clearing, painting Tigerclaw from nose to tail-tip. A she-cat took Lionheart's place, and Tigerclaw took in her beautiful silver tabby pelt.

"Silverstream," he breathed. "I tried. I'm so sorry."  
"I know," the RiverClan she-cat replied simply. "It was my time, and my punishment. I give you a life for trusting your instincts. While I wasn't so keen there myself," she added cheekily, "I trust you will do well, Tigerclaw. You are in the making for a legendary leader."  
Tigerclaw was touched by her words as he leaned in to receive his life. He understood why Graystripe loved her so much; she was not only strikingly beautiful, but she was wise beyond her years in life and death.

Silverstream stepped back, grinning and tail flicking. Next came a small, golden brown tom. Tigerclaw felt a wave of grief as Thornpaw padded up to him.

"I'm sorry," he said numbly. "What they did to you was cruel."  
Thornpaw flicked his tail. "You need to stop apologizing," he said softly. "And anyway, I'd rather die fighting for ThunderClan than anything else." But his golden eyes reflected his true sadness. Tigerclaw felt a prickle of shock. _What if I had killed Rowanpaw?_

"I give you a life for mercy," Thornpaw exclaimed, shaking his head free of thoughts. "Killing in battle - especially an apprentice - is cowardly. I trust you to look past that."

Tigerclaw, shocked by the young tom's sudden wisdom, learned downto receive his second-last life. It shot through him like lightning once more, but by now he had grown used to the pain.

"Once more, Tigerclaw." Tigerclaw looked up to see Brindleface, padding up to him with her tail kinked over her back. Tigerclaw felt another wave of regret that back home, Ashpaw and Fernpaw were still grieving over her body.

"Tell my kits I love them," she whispered, and her eyes glazed with sadness. Then she shook her head and stepped back. "For your ninth life, I give you farsightedness. Whatever Fireheart may be up to, it's time to expand your horizons and see other's opinions beside your own. There are other cats out there that matter just as much as you do."  
Tigerclaw stretched out his neck to receive his final life. This one hurt the most, feeling like he was being ripped in half from his neck to the base of his belly. Tigerclaw unsheathed his claws and dug them into the dirt as Brindleface squeezed her eyes shut. Then the gray queen stepped back, looking quite pleased.

"You did it," she purred. "Welcome, Tigerstar!"  
Tigerstar stepped back as the starry cats began cheering his name one at a time. He heard Spottedleaf join the chant beside him, and relished in the glory of StarClan. It would take him a long time to get used to his new name - to be honest, he had never truly expected to have -star at the end of his name, but here he was.

He was Tigerstar, leader of ThunderClan.

 **Yay Tigerstar! Fun fact: Tigerstar got the same lives that he did in the real series, just by different cats. Also, there's a reference to his death by Scourge towards the end. Maybe I should start asking questions about your thoughts at the end of chapters?  
1) which character are you most surprised at personality-wise?**

 **2) which character would you like to appear more?  
3) Which character do you want to die? B) (i'm gonna use these btw)**

 **4) Who is your favorite so far?**

 **Thanks xX**


	15. Chapter 15

**walkswithwheels: *cracks knuckles* here we go... (i love your review sm) (1)unfortunately Leopardfur will become an important cat later, as you know, she and Tigerstar were a team in the actual series and they will be here, too. Maybe I can change your mind on her? :D (2)Fernpaw didn't really... do anything in canon. She had, like, seven kits, (which isn't actually a lot) I don't have anything against her, I'm just afraid killing her and creating a butterfly where none of her kits ever even existed isn't really a good thing. But I'll manage something.(3) Ravenflight's definitely the Darkstripe of this story, which you'll see more of later. The Longtail is actually Graystripe, because he didn't know what he was getting into and changed his ways. I sadly made him really pathetic, which I really wish I didn't. (Sandstorm isn't a great cat either, but she values her status in ThunderClan more than she does Fireheart). (4)Well see... heh... I already had this chapter planned before your review, so.. you'll have to read it to see what I mean. But there will be two twists at the very end of the story involving Graystripe's kits. (5) we'll see what happens to Brokentail, definitely. Just not right now. B)**

 **xXArtisticDreamerXx: thank you! so kind! :D**

 **Childish 'paw: Yeah, Thornpaw never really stuck out to me in the real series. :( Mousefur will show up a few times later.**

 **Spottedheart: thanks for the reviews! I like Spottedleaf too :)  
** **Scarlet Vow: (1) ...I guess i should have thought about that before I asked the question XD Spottedleaf is different in this story, mainly because in the actual series she's a pathetic stalker form StarClan with a bland personality that's biased because Firestar is so in love with her. (2) remember the battle that involved, like, all of the Clans in the first series? That's going to happen :) (3) I have plans for him... just you wait**

 **Dusk Song 44: Not sure about BloodClan yet! Mainly because Tigerstar was the one that knew about them. But thanks for the review!**

The walk back from the Moonstone left Tigerstar with a tingling feeling in his paws. Spottedleaf walked alongside him as the sun rose along the horizon, casting an orange glow to his pelt. He was leader - and it was still unbelievable. To be honest, he had no idea where to begin.

"Are you ready?" Spottedleaf asked gently as they neared the camp's gorse barrier. Her eyes were soft, like she was genuinely worried he wasn't. Tigerstar purred.

"More than you can imagine," he promised. Then he squeezed through the entrance.

Cats turned to look at him as soon as he entered. FRom the looks of it, the dead had already been buried, and only few cats were in camp. Whitestorm hopped down from his ledge beneath the Highrock and trotted over to Tigerstar, tail kinked over his back.

"Welcome!" he greeted. "Everything went well, I assume?"  
Tigerstar purred. "Nine lives," he replied proudly. "How was camp while I was gone?"

"It's back up and running," Whitestorm said simply, shaking out his pale coat. "They're still a bit shaken after losing Bluestar and exiling Fireheart, but they're getting there. I sent out dawn patrols, and they should be back soon."  
As he spoke, a group of cats emerged from the entrance, dull-eyed but walking along. They gave Tigerstar a tired congratulations before going towards the warrior's den. Tigerstar grinned before turning back to Whitestorm.

"Anything else?"

Whitestorm winced, like he was considering his words. "Graystripe wanted to talk to you when you got back," he meowed in a low and serious tone. Tigerstar's belly dropped to his paws. He hadn't checked on the gray tom since Bluestar's death and Fireheart's exile; surely he was sad that at least a former friend was gone. Whitestorm wasn't done yet. "He was talking about bringing his kits back to RiverClan," he added darkly. "I'm not sure why, but you can find out yourself if you like."  
Tigerstar quickly thanked him before making his way over to the nursery. He began to greet Goldenflower when he saw a gray shape, hunched over in his way. Graystripe was playing with the kits, but his yellow eyes looked exhausted.

"Hey," Tigerstar greeted softly. Graystripe took in a shuddering breath before turning to face him. "How are you?"  
"I"m great," Graystripe lied. Featherkit leapt at Tigerstar's tail, and he jerked it back in surprise.

"Tigerclaw!" Bramblekit meowed upon seeing the leader, stumpy tail in the air happily. "A mouse came into the nursery today and Mistlekit killed it!"

"His name is Tigerstar, now," Goldenflower meowed, rasping her tongue over Bramblekit's head. "When a cat becomes leader, they add -star to their name."

"He's leader?" Bramblekit gaped, amber eyes widening. Tawnykit clambered over Goldenflower's back, ears perked in awe.

"Leaders have nine lives, right?" she whispered. Tigerstar nodded, and the tortoiseshell kit's jaw dropped as she exchanged a thrilled glance with her brother. "He's the leader of ThunderClan!"

"Yes, he is," Goldenflower murmured, gently nosing Tawnykit back down. Her eyes met Tigerstar's, and both their gazes filled with warmth. "Congratulations," she meowed, reaching up and licking his chin. "I'm so glad you made it this far."

"Me too," Tigerstar admitted quietly. Though he wished Redtail or Lionheart had taken his place, he was still shocked and honored. It gave him a beam of hope over Bluestar's sudden death and the lingering threat of Fireheart.

Graystripe obviously had enough by this time and shooed away his kits.

"Tigerstar, may I talk to you outside?" he meowed, eyes widening. Tigerstar nodded and bid his kits goodbye with a sigh. He followed the gray tom to a secluded corner of camp, where he eventually stopped and whirled around.

"I'm taking my kits to RiverClan," he blurted as soon as he was facing Tigerstar again. Tigerstar reeled back, though Whitestorm's warning had prepared him for this. Graystripe's head ducked in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I've put a lot of thinking into this, and…"

Graystripe trailed off and took in a shuddering breath, like he was going to cry.

"I was scared to talk to Bluestar," he admitted, "but Featherkit and Stormkit don't belong here. It's not fair that they only have me and nothing of their mother."  
"But if they leave, they won't have any memory of their father," Tigerstar warned, narrowing his eyes. Graystripe's chin rose.

"I know," he meowed. "That's why I'm going with them."

Tigerstar nearly reeled back with shock. "You're leaving ThunderClan?" he spat.

Graystripe winced. "Yes," he replied quietly. "I know it's cowardly and selfish. But Fireheart knows me and my kits. And we're not safe here."  
"Fireheart is gone," Tigerstar snarled, growing impatient. "And if he isn't done, don't you think he'd involve all the Clans? You know that better than anyone, Graystripe."  
"I know!" Graystripe wailed. "But I feel like it's the right thing to do, you know? They're more RiverClan than ThunderClan. I..." Graystripe trailed off, and his voice was a high-pitched wail. "I don't want to lose them like I lost Silverstream."

Tigerstar's mouth was open, but he closed it slowly. He had seen the agonizing pain Graystripe was in, watching his mate die in front of his eyes. Tigerstar imagined losing Goldenflower like that, and then Bramblekit and Tawnykit, and felt like he had been stabbed through the heart.

"Very well," he murmured. "If this is what you want, then let it be so. But just know that your loyalty is only to RiverClan from now on. It's unfair to both Clans if your loyalty is wavering."

Graystripe nodded solemnly. "Let's go," he whispered. Tigerstar's ears perked.

"Now?"  
Graystripe nodded again. "Now," he repeated. "It's best I don't say goodbye. They know I used to be friends with Fireheart. They won't trust me when I leave so soon after he did."

Tigerstar didn't reply. Graystripe stared at him, the wind rustling his fur. The air had grown hotter and drier, but Graystripe's offer kept his paws cold.

"Please, Tigerstar," Graystripe pleaded. "If you won't let me go, I'll go on my own. Please don't make this a journey I walk myself."  
Another pause. Then a sigh, and it took Tigerstar a minute before he realized it was his own. "Let's go," he whispered.

Tigerstar waited patiently as Graystripe fetched his kits, and without a word, they began to leave.

"Where are we going?" Stormkit quipped, trotting alongside his father.

"Yeah, and why is Tigerclaw coming?" Featherkit added, glancing up at the tabby leader quizzically.  
"It's Tigerstar, now," he corrected gently. "And your father is bringing you to RiverClan."  
"RiverClan?" Stormkit echoed, stopping in his tracks. The other cats looked at him as he bristled. "An enemy Clan? We're not even supposed to be out of camp."  
"I know," Tigerstar said softly. "But we're on the border now, so be quiet. We must wait for a patrol."

"Why?" Featherkit asked, blue eyes rounding. Tigerstar sat down.

"It's the polite thing to do," he replied. Then they waited.

It didn't take long for a patrol to come by. At first they bristled at the ThunderClan cats, before a kind she-cat pointed out they had kits with them.

"What brings you here?" a young warrior named Stonefur asked, glancing down at the kits. Tigerstar recognized his gray fur from Gatherings past. His head tipped to the side. "A deputy, a warrior, and two kits?"  
"A leader, actually," Tigerstar corrected modestly. "Bluestar passed away last night."  
The RiverClan patrol's heads dipped in respect. "You lost a fair leader," Stonefur replied solemnly.

Tigerstar nodded in agreement. "I'd like to speak with Crookedstar," he added hastily, sneaking a glance at Graystripe, who hid behind his broad figure. "It regards these three."

Stonefur nodded importantly. "Let me take you to camp." When one of the younger RiverClan bared his teeth, Stonefur shot him a glare. "They have kits," he warned. "They're doing no harm."

Tigerstar followed the RiverClan cats with unease. Featherkit and Stormkit had gone silent, pressing up against their father in fear of the overwhelming scents and new grown cats. Tigerstar couldn't blame them for their fear. They reached the camp eventually, which reeked of fish and water. Cats stopped what they were doing immediately and stared at them, some whispering frequently to one another. Stonefur ignored them.

"Crookedstar!" he called upon entering camp. "You have visitors!"  
Tigerstar watched as the large brown leader emerged from what Tigerstar assumed was his den. He had never truly gotten used to Crookedstar's twisted jaw or the way his tongue lolled out of his mouth.

"Tigerclaw," he greeted, startled. "What brings you here?"  
Tigerstar dipped his head. He still wasn't used to correcting so many cats on his name. "Tigerstar, now," he murmured politely. Crookedstar grumbled an apology and wrapped his tail around his paws. The cats began to disperse and go back to what they were doing, though Tigerstar felt a few glares at his pelt.

"What brings you here?" Crookedstar asked politely, sneaking a glance at the kits behind Tigerstar's back.

Tigerstar cleared his throat. "As you know, Silverstream and Graystripe were in a forbidden affair. She died giving birth."  
Crookedstar's green eyes clouded at once, and Tigerstar remembered that Silverstream had been his daughter. Tigerstar took in a breath before going on. "Graystripe doesn't want his kits in ThunderClan. He wants to come back to RiverClan with them."

Crookedstar stared at him with bulging green eyes for a long moment before looking at the kits. He was especially looking at Featherkit, who was finally getting the confidence to emerge from behind Graystripe. She looked so much like Silverstream, down to her classic tabby stripes.

"Any cats are welcome in RiverClan," Crookedstar whispered. He crouched down to look at the kits eye-to-eye. He smiled slightly. "What are their names?" he asked Graystripe.

"Stormkit and Featherkit," the gray tom mumbled. "If that's what you'd like them to be called," he added hastily. Crookedstar purred.

"Those are wonderful names," he reassured him. "Silverstream would have loved them." Leaning down to the kits, he added, "do you know who I am?"

Tigerstar stepped away as Crookedstar explained, in his own way, that this was the kits' home now.

He didn't realize he had stepped so far back that he bumped into another cat. Tigerstar shot up as he felt another pelt behind him, and the other cat did the same.

"Sorry!" he said mindlessly. He heard the rough laugh of Leopardfur as he turned around.

"You're good," she insisted lightly, nudging him. "So, you're Tigerstar now, I heard?"

Tigerstar's fur warmed as his friend spoke. "You heard right," he confirmed, grinning.

"What happened with Bluestar?" Leopardfur asked nonchalantly, rasping her tongue over her golden dappled fur. "She seemed fine last Gathering."  
Tigerstar sighed. "She was fine last Gathering," he admitted quietly. "But Fireheart launched an attack with ShadowClan. They killed her along with a queen and an apprentice. Fireheart's exiled, so he could be anywhere now."

"A queen and an apprentice?" Leopardfur repeated, suddenly growing serious. "You're kidding."  
"I wish I was," Tigerstar muttered. "Part of the reason Graystripe's here is because Fireheart isn't fond of him. With ShadowClan on his side, he can get away with a lot. Watch out for him."  
Leopardfur nodded importantly. "I never really saw what Bluestar saw in him," she remarked. "But maybe that's just me being form an enemy Clan. Anyway, I'll keep an eye out for him."

Tigerstar saw Featherkit and Stormkit getting lead over to what he assumed was the nursery by a kind-looking tortoiseshell queen, while Graystripe was deep in conversation with Crookedstar.

"I think it's time for me to go," Tigerstar murmured. "I have a lot to explain to my Clan."  
Leopardfur flicked her tail cheekily. "Good luck. Would you like me to usher you out?"  
Tigerstar stood, whiskers twitching. "That'd be great."

"The cats going to the Gathering will be Whitestorm, Runningwind, Swiftpaw, Longtail, Mousefur, Brackenfur, Frostfur, Sandstorm, and any apprentices that wish to attend if your mentor is going. Let's be on our way."  
Tigerstar hopped down from the Highrock, and watched as the cats he called began to form a line behind him. He had to admit, he was nervous about his first Gathering as leader. A few sunrises had passed, giving him the chance to tell the Clan about Graystripe (they didn't exactly appreciate what he had done) and prove himself as a leader. Bluestar's legacy would be a hard one to live up to.

He was a little excited to see Leopardfur again. Crookedstar was getting older, so perhaps Leopardfur would succeed him soon. Tigerstar and Leopardfur had been somewhat friends for a long time, so an allegiance would be a good thing, especially with ShadowClan's constant threat hanging over his head.

Tigerstar felt his stomach twist as he saw the four oaks grow closer. ShadowClan was done, right? They had their prophecy now. But Fireheart had wanted all the Clans for himself - he had said it aloud. And maybe ShadowClan was still mad that they had to pry Fireheart by force.

Tigerstar emerged in the clearing, where WindClan had already arrived. Tigerstar took a running start to throw himself atop the rock and clambered up next to Tallstar. He gave the WindClan leader a polite nod, and got a mere congratulations in response. Though WindClan and ThunderClan had a long history of helping each other, that was mainly the friendship of Bluestar and Tallstar keeping them together. Tigerstar didn't know the old leader that well, and from what he heard he was relatively gruff.

RiverClan came next, and Crookedstar rook a slower and easier route to the top of the rock. He greeted the leaders in a friendly manner, breaking the awkward silence.

"How are Graystripe and the kits?" Tigerstar asked in a whisper. Crookedstar broke off in a loud purr. He obviously loved the kits.

"They're great. Featherkit and Stormkit fit right in," he told Tigerstar. "Graystripe isn't the happiest, but that's understandable. Hopefully, with time, he'll get used to being here."

"I'm glad," Tigerstar purred. Another awkward silence came and went, and the deputies and medicine cats were murmuring amongst each other worriedly. Tigerstar sensed their fretfulness, and apparently, so did the other leaders.

"Where is ShadowClan?" Tallstar asked, yellow eyes narrowing. "It's unusual they'd be late."

Crookedstar snorted. "It's more typical than anything," he argued. "Knowing them, they're going to make some fashionably late dramatic-"

He was broken off as a single cat entered the clearing, raising his chin in the full moonlight. The clearing went silent. Tigerstar recognized him, as did the rest of ThunderClan. Tigerstar leapt to his paws, unsheathing his claws. An uneasy feeling reached the pit of his belly.

"I thought we exiled you," Tigerstar snarled a warning, narrowing his eyes. "Get out of here, Fireheart."

The orange cat leaned back in surprise. "I don't go by that name anymore, but nice to see you, too," he replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice. Tigerstar narrowed his eyes. _He's playing that game, is he?_

"I don't care what name you go by now, whether it's Fire or Flame or SpecialProphecy," Tigerstar replied, "you're still not welcome here."

Fireheart grinned a menacing, slow grin. Behind him, more and more cats trickled out. Tigerstar recognized Brokentail in an instant and froze as he realized what was going on.

"But what if I told you my name wasn't Fireheart, or Rusty, or Fire, at all," he insisted, stepping forward with a glare. Fireheart's chin raised to the sky, and Tigerstar's blood ran cold.

"You can call me Firestar, leader of ShadowClan."

 **Kind of boring chapter with a cool ending? Maybe? :D Thank you all for the reviews! I love hearing feedback from you guys. Any predictions for next chapter or just the rest of the story in general, now that we have Firestar and Tigerstar as leaders? :o**


	16. Chapter 16

**Walkswithwheels: yes, the sickness happened a while ago. They are still in recovery, and Firestar stepped in at the perfect time. I guess I can tell you now that Graystripe will be returning, but a twist involving both his kits will happen in the last few chapters.**

 **Wyldclaw: thanks for the reviews!**

 **Goldskies5: I could have sworn I put in a break! (***) but apparently I didn't! Thanks for catching that, I'll keep my eye out for it other times. :) There should be eleven chapters left after this one, if all goes according to plan.**

 **Eclipsemoon: thanks for the reassurance! :D One of the twists / butterfly effects of this story is that Tigerpaw(star) never attacked Tiny! In fact, what happened in this story is that Tiny went to the woods, went back home, and he (along with his siblings) eventually did get adopted into a new Twoleg home. So there is no BloodClan! We'll see where it goes from there, but the four Clans will definitely be in battle.**

 **I just wanted to add a little something before this chapter: Tigerstar seems a little aggressive from here on out with Firestar. I mean, he's always been tense with him, but after all his suspiciouns were proven true, after he murdered Bluestar, and caused the deaths of Brindleface, Thornpaw, and technically Lionheart (Tigerstar's close friend) Tigerstar hates him. And he had reason to. So hopefully if he's harsh with Firestar in not only this chapter but in future chapters, just know that it's nothing new. It's just something yet to be revealed. :) And now onto the actual chapter, haha!**

Tigerstar felt his paws numb until he could no longer feel them. He had predicted this so long ago, but now that it was happening, it felt surreal.

"Excuse me?" Tigerstar stuttered, feeling his amber eyes grow wide. He almost forgot nearly all eyes were on him, and forced his fur flat.

"Firestar," the ginger tom repeated calmly, sauntering up to Great Rock and hopping next to Tallstar like it was no big deal. "I'm here to represent ShadowClan, much like you're here for ThunderClan."

Tigerstar couldn't think of an appropriate, leader-like response, so he merely nodded. A long pause followed, and Tigerstar looked to his paws as he felt Firestar's emerald gaze bore into his fur.

"I think it's a good time to start the Gathering," Crookedstar pointed out awkwardly, casting a wary glance at the newest leader. Tallstar nodded agreement. The oldest leader had yet to give his obvious opinion on Firestar, but then again, Tallstar was wise enough to keep to himself. The other leaders mumbled agreement.

"ShadowClan will start," Firestar decided, rising to his paws. Crookedstar tipped his head.

"Isn't it a bit inappropriate for the newest and youngest leader to start a Gathering?" Crookedstar replied with an edge to his voice. Tigerstar gave a relieved huff as finally, another leader was wary of Firestar, but he shook his head.

"No, let him go," he argued with a spark in his eyes. "He has a lot of explaining to do after murdering Bluestar."

A gasp ripped through all the Clans, though ThunderClan's eyes glowered with understanding. Even ShadowClan looked appalled. Firestar merely flicked his tail, though his eyes reflected a hint of uncertainty.

"Bluestar refused to let me leave ThunderClan," Firestar growled. "ShadowClan needed me. I was part of their prophecy from the very beginning, It was the only thing I could do."  
Another silence. Tigerstar saw ShadowClan heads droop, and he pitied them. He pieced together what he could: they were still recovering from the sickness, Nightstar had died of old age, leaving them with Brokentail the insane as a leader. Then suddenly, their prophecy shows up at camp, coming to "save" them all. So of course he was leader.

Tigerstar sighed. Of course he was.

"As some of you may have guessed, Nightstar passed peacefully of old age," Firestar went on. Tigerstar looked at Brokentail and immediately knew that had not been the case. Either Nightstar was insanely sick and died of greencough nine time in a row, Brokentail killed him nine times, or he wasn't truly leader at all and was just waiting for someone else to take the nine lives.

Someone like Firestar.

Tigerstar's eyes bulged. He had to give Brokentail credit; this was a well-thought out plan. Firestar bowed his head in a respectful silence before going on.

"Brokentail could not become leader again, so I stepped in to take his place," he continued. "If you welcome me as ShadowClan's leader, there should be no problem and life will go on as normal."  
Firestar then sat down, looking pleased as a bird in the spring. Tigerstar stifled a snarl. Tall star stepped forward next.

"On behalf of WindClan, we welcome both new leaders tonight," he began. WindClan gave a few pathetic cheers, obviously disagreeing with their leader. Tigerstar tried to catch Tallstar's glance, but the black and white tom was all for Firestar. Something about the way he gazed at the tom made Tigerstar briefly wonder if they had a history together. He listened absently as Tallstar droned on about new apprentices, a queen in the nursery, and two new warriors. He was broken from his thoughts as Crookedstar nudged him.

"Tigerstar?" Crookedstar asked. "Would you like to go next?"

Tigerstar rose to his paws shakily. So many cats were below him, each looking up with the moonlight reflecting in his eyes.

"Um," he began. Then he swallowed, regaining his posture. "Bluestar has died. Firehe - _star,_ " he corrected himself, glaring at the ginger leader, "has been exiled. My announcement for this Gathering _was_ going to tell you to beware of him, as he is dangerous and killed three cats - a queen, an apprentice, and a leader, but it seems ShadowClan ignored my warning before I even issued it."

"Typical," he heard Leopardfur snarl form below the rock.  
He sat down, wrapping his tail around his paws as an outrage sparked. Crookedstar eyed him nervously, as if he didn't agree with his word choice. Some cats yowled angrily, most in agreement. Even Firestar leapt to his paws in defense.

"I never laid a claw on those cats!" he insisted, shooting a nervous glance at his Clan. "Only Bluestar, who was _holding me captive_!"

"That's hilarious," Tigerstar snarled, not finding it amusing a bit. "We were protecting ShadowClan from _you_!"

"Me?" Firestar growled, looking quite appalled. By now both leaders had been inching towards each other until they were at the very front of the rock. "I am a prophecy! Your opinion isn't going to change that, Tigerstar."  
"What does that mean?" Tigerstar asked warily, tipping his head to the side in a warning gesture. Firestar smirked.

"It's only a statement," he meowed breezily. "You cannot control what happens to ShadowClan. Your personal opinion just doesn't fit here."  
"Yeah?" Tigerstar snarled, feeling rage bubble up in his stomach. "Well I can tell you _exactly_ where _your_ opinion fits. Right up your-"

... ...

"I still can't believe you said that at a Gathering."

Tigerstar felt his pelt flush with embarrassment. "It's been weeks, Spottedleaf," he mumbled. The medicine cat grinned cheekily from the side as she mixed together a strange poultice. It was true, a few sunrises had came and gone, and it was the most immature thing he had done as a leader. Sure, he had told Firestar something the apprentices _definitely_ shouldn't have heard, and _sure,_ he got a strong scolding from Goldenflower the minute they got home, but most of the Clan was over it.

The toms thought it was funny, be he couldn't use that excuse forever.

"Whatever," Tigerstar growled dismissively as Spottedleaf laughed. "What have you been doing lately?"

The tortoiseshell she-cat opened her mouth to answer right as Cinderpelt hobbled into the den. The gray she-cat stared at Tigerstar for a long moment before stifling a laugh.

"Language," she muttered behind a laugh. Tigerstar growled.

"Whitestorm just sent patrols out," he went on, ignoring Cinderpelt. "So there's no one in camp, and I've got nothing to do."

Spottedleaf gasped as she caught on. "You want to look for herbs with your favorite medicine cat?" she laughed, nudging him with her shoulder. Tigerstar grumbled in agreement.

He was more than a little bored.

Spottedleaf led him outside camp, muttering absently about juniper berries. Tigerstar followed her wordlessly, still partially trapped in his own thoughts.

Since the last Gathering, Snowpaw and Mistlepaw had been apprenticed, and Dappletail, their mother, had finally retired. Tigerstar had worried about Snowpaw learning to fight and hunt properly, but he had assigned Mousefur to mentor him. The brown she-cat was no-nonsense, and would be capable of taking Snowpaw out of his quiet dream-world. But at the same time, she was smarter than she acted and had reported to Tigerstar that things were going smoothly.

Mistlepaw, on the other paw, was constantly in the shadow of her brother's disability - not that it was a positive attribute, many of the cats had never heard of a deaf cat before. (Tigerstar found himself snickering at that joke.) If Bluestar or even Firestar were still leader of ThunderClan, Mistlepaw would have been completely forgotten.

"The juniper bush is up here," Spottedleaf murmured, flicking her tail ahead of her. Tigerstar could see the round blue berries in the distance, slightly shriveled but still looking fine.

"It's a wonder they're not all dead from this heat," Tigerstar commented, smaking his mouth together in the dry air. "This is insane."  
Spottedleaf looked at him over her shoulder. "Right?" she agreed. "It's gotten to the point where-"

Then she stopped dead, and Tigerstar had to scramble to a halt to avoid slamming into her.

"What," she whispered, eyes wide, "is _that_?"

Tigerstar followed her horrified gaze to a pawprint beside the juniper bush. It was larger than any cat he had ever seen, and as he placed his paw inside the bigger one, he noticed long, unsheathed claws imprinted on the dirt. Tigerstar's nose wrinkled and he stepped backward, fur rising.

"It _stinks_!" he exclaimed, revolted. Spottedleaf's back arched.

"Whatever it is, it's got to be near," she realized aloud with uncertainty flickering in her amber eyes. Tigerstar felt dread prickle at his spine. This smelt faintly of fox, but something about it was off. A badger, perhaps?

"Should we leave?" Spottedleaf suggested, jerking her head back towards camp anxiously. "I'm sure there are other juniper bushes."

"No, wait," Tigerstar muttered. He crept forward, where, sure enough, another footprint was freshly embedded in the ground and leading into a gorse thicket. "Stay close. I smell something else."

"Smell what?" Spottedleaf asked. She looked as if she wasn't coming, but to Tigerstar's relief, she pressed up against his pelt tightly as he padded forward.

"There's…" Tigerstar paused, opening his mouth ever so slightly to catch the scent. "...cat."  
"Of course there's cat!" Spottedleaf snapped. "We live with like twelve other cats, in a forest full of them!"  
"It's not just that!" Tigerstar retorted. "There's something else, too."

Beside him, Spottedleaf stiffened. They had passed four more pawprints, and Tigerstar was beginning to feel a knot in his belly.

"I smell it too," she whispered, "and I've smelt it too many times in my life. That's blood."  
Tigerstar's blood ran cold at her words. _Blood?_ He picked up his pace worriedly, when finally the thicket cleared into an empty hollow. Tigerstar stood rigid, and he heard Spottedleaf gasp beside him.

The clearing was a mess of fur and blood scattered from the ground to the lower branches of the trees, like some sort of slaughter had taken place. And in the middle was the body of a cat. The fur was so soaked with crimson blood that at first, Tigerstar didn't realize that the cat had used to be white.

"Is that Cloudpaw?" Spottedleaf squeaked, rushing forward with a swift glance to her side. Tigerstar stalked forward, eyes narrowed.

"What did this to him?" he rumbled. He neared Firestar's former apprentice, looking so small and feeble surrounded by his own blood. Spottedleaf gently rolled him over with her paw, revealing his torn and bloodied face.

He had put up quite the fight.

"I don't know, but I can tell you one thing," Spottedleaf murmured. Her eyes locked with Tigerstar's seriously. "This was no cat."  
"That's apparent," Tigerstar replied. "But anything with paws - and damage - that big could be deadly in ThunderClan territory."

"Something tells me this thing didn't wander here itself," Spottedleaf muttered, half caught up in inspecting Cloudpaw's body. Tigerstar's tail flicked in surprise as Spottedleaf examined a large gash down Cloudpaw's side. "I've never seen anything like this before."

"If you're saying someone led it here, I have a lingering feeling..."  
"Are you blaming who I think you are?"  
"I'm just saying, Cloudpaw was my spy for him, so I wouldn't be shocked if-"

"Shush!" Spottedleaf interrupted, looking back down at Cloudpaw frantically. She pressed her ear to his chest before her eyes glimmered and her head shot back up. "He's alive!"

"He's alive?" Tigerstar repeated in disbelief. "How?"  
"I don't know, but I'm determined to keep it this way," Spottedleaf spoke quickly. "Squat down. I'm putting him on your back so we can get him back to camp. And then," she added gravely, looking at Tigerstar seriously, "you've got to get this figured out."

 **Cloud paw is the Brightheart of this story! Shocked? :D**

 **I just wanted to take a minute to thank you guys. This is my first story on here, it only has sixteen chapters, and yet here we are with comments, a number of favorites, and follows that are still growing. And something even better: all comments, all sixty five, are positive or constructive. That is beyond cool. I don't think I've said that before but I really did need to. This story would not have got on this far had it not been for you guys.**

 **Thank you. :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Snowcrystal of thunderclan: Yes! There is some of that this chapter, actually.**

 **WyldClaw: thank ya! :D**

 **Walkswithwheels: I added some more of Snowpaw this chapter :) in canon, I thought they overreacted with Snowkit/paw. It was all "OMG DEAF? DEAF CAT? HE CAN't BE A WARRIOR NO WAY" and it was just written off by him dying instead of the cats dealing with it. I thought it was kind of lame, even though Snowkit had a sad death. Especially since ThunderClan was just fine with Brightheart becoming a warrior and they were okay with Jaypaw wanting to be one. Snowpaw communicates through body language, and it's explained a little this chapter. Though I** _ **will**_ **try to add more of him later, because he lacked what could have been an interesting character.**

 **Scarlet Vow: no, Mistlepaw is not disabled, sorry about the confusion. I will throw in jokes about how the Erins forgot about her character entirely multiple times, though. Her mentor is Runningwind because he deserved an apprentice, just like Mistlekit deserved to not be forgotten :( thanks erins**

 **Spottedheart: thanks! I'll work with what I can for no BloodClan, but I think I have a good reason for a battle at the end.**

 **FeatherSunfire: love me a good plot twist :p**

"So how is he?"  
Tigerstar gave the cat next to him a sidelong glance.

"Cloudpaw?" he guessed. "She's not sure."

Only moments earlier, Tigerstar and Spottedleaf had returned to back. Spottedleaf had taken Cloudpaw to her den, where she and a startled Cinderpelt fought to keep him alive. Tigerstar had shooed away doe-eyed Clanmates and answered their pestering questions as well as he could. The crowd and tension had died down, and yet there was still a sense of unease.

"But he's going to live, right?" Mousefur pressed, blinking up at Tigerstar worriedly. "I don't think Dustpelt could handle losing his first apprentice."  
Tigerstar remembered briefly that Dustpelt had been given Cloudpaw as an apprentice soon after Firestar had been exiled. The poor brown tabby was surely worried sick.

"From what I've heard, he's going to live," Tigerstar replied the best he could. "But I'm not sure at what price."  
Mousefur's eyes widened. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"  
Tigerstar gave a long, drawn-out sigh. "Whatever attacked him took a good chunk of the left side of his face. His ears are both shredded, and Spottedleaf doesn't think he's going to have both eyes if he even lives."  
"That's horrible," Mousefur murmured. A silence passed, giving Tigerstar the chance to feel a slight breeze. He exhaled. Finally, a breeze in the heat-turned-drought. Perhaps the scorching weather would finally pass.

"So how is Snowpaw?" he asked, forcing a positive vibe into the conversation. Mousefur's tail flicked eagerly at his words.

"It's going great, actually," she explained. A grin slowly spread across her face. "I talked to Speckletail the day you assigned me as his mentor. She said she was teaching him to communicate with tail-flicks and ear movements. So I had her teach me what she taught him, and it's working from there."

"That's… incredible, actually," Tigerstar breathed. He hadn't put much thought into Snowpaw's training since he had been apprenticed - he didn't want to smother Snowpaw with attention because of his special needs, and Firestar had taking up much of his attention anyway. "I chose the right mentor," he decided, flicking Mousefur over the ears playfully. The brown she-cat smirked. "What about Mistlepaw? How's she handling apprenticeship?"  
Mousefur shrugged. "Dunno. Ask Runningwind. He suggested we train them separately at first, so I could get to know him and learn how he works. Then they'll train together, eventually. Don't worry, though," Mousefur added with a wink, "I haven't forgotten about her."  
"So will he wait a little longer to be a warrior?"

"Oh, definitely. There's so much I have to teach him, and no one alive here has taught a deaf cat before," Mousefur explained matter-of-factly. "But I know for a fact he'll get there. He's an ambitious little cat."

"I'm glad to hear that," Tigerstar decided, nodding thoughtfully. Across camp, he could see Snowpaw and Mistlepaw wrestling in the clearing. Mistlepaw held the advantage, but Tigerstar could see muscles rippling underneath Snowpaw's pelt as he rolled over to avoid the dark tabby paw that came down on his head.

"He could easily be one of the strongest warriors in ThunderClan," Mousefur observed. "With time, I think, I can help him become what Bluestar would have never let him be."  
Tigerstar shifted his head so that he was looking at her. "And what does that mean?"

Mousefur dipped her head in embarrassment. "You know Bluestar," she meowed. "The minute she knew he was deaf, she was going to either confine him to the elder's den or pray for some horrible accident. She wasn't going to give him a chance. No, she was too busy for that worrying about ShadowClan."  
Tigerstar shook his head. "A lot of her best qualities left along with her lives," he commented lightly. "I'd best be going. It's been a long day. Good luck, Mousefur. May StarClan light your path."  
"And your in turn," Mousefur replied, wavering his tail as the brown tabby turned his back to the rest of his Clan.

… …

He was dreaming, and he wasn't aware.

Tigerstar slunk through the forest of ThunderClan territory, keeping a watchful amber gaze on a mouse nibbling on a root nearby. He kept his heartbeat light and his pawsteps lighter, carefully lowering his head with a long-perfected technique.

But then a loud, thundering boom came from nearby. The mouse raised its head in alarm before scuttling away inside the safety of a hole. Tigerstar cursed inwardly, releasing his tense posture and rising to his paws.

Another thud came, this time closer than before. Tigerstar pricked his ears, inwardly curing whatever Twoleg nonsense was scaring off his prey.

Then an all-too familiar scent reached Tigerstar's maw. His blood ran cold as the reminder of Cloudpaw's accident scorched through him from nose to tail-tip. The thudding grew louder and closer together until Tigerstar could hear fluctuated, heavy breathing. He wanted to run, farther than any WindClan cat on the moor, but something glued his paws to the forest floor. Suddenly the paws stopped, and Tigerstar felt a breathing along the back of his neck.

 _StarClan, help me,_ he prayed.

Suddenly, he felt a jolt of energy and sprinted forward, away from whatever beast was behind him without even daring to turn around. His attackers were in close pursuit, and Tigerstar realized in a horrifying moment that there wasn't one, but many of them.

Something grabbed onto his haunches, forcing him to the ground chin-first. Tigerstar felt his muzzle tinge with pain, but he shook it off as claws dug into his back. He rolled over, desperately trying to be freed of whatever was on him, when he finally saw it.

The creature had large, ugly fangs that snarled into Tigerstar's face. They jarred from a long, wrinkled muzzle that belonged to a beast no cat could ever size up to. Tigerstar knew exactly what it was the moment his eyes met the beady brown ones.

It was a dog, but like no dog Tigerstar had ever seen before.

There were several of them, huddled around his exposed belly like they were starving. And yet, they didn't attack. Tigerstar could only hear a faint whisper, coming from none of them and all of them at once.

"Pack, Pack," they said in unison, their voices sounding hoarse. They grew to a shriek, and Tigerstar's eyes widened. "Kill, Kill!"

Tigerstar awoke with a gasp. He shot up from his nest in horror to realize his pelt was hot and sticky.

And then he realized he wasn't sweating from the dream.

His eyes narrowed against the harsh glare outside. Smoke filled his lungs until it became hard to breathe. He stumbled outside his den, where fire licked the sky. The camp was completely destroyed. Tigerstar's heart dropped, but not before a coughing bout racked his body.

"Tigerstar!"  
Tigerstar recognized Spottedleaf's voice in an instant. He could hardly see her through the fire, but when he found her he saw her fur glowing orange. He clambered across the clearing, avoiding a fallen log and reaching the medicine den.

"Is everyone evacuated?" he roared over the flames. Ahead, he saw Spottedleaf shake her head.

"Almost!" she called back. Tigerstar reached her and felt her collapse against his shoulder. "Brightpaw is in the den with Cloudpaw," she explained, exasperated. She looked up at Tigerstar, and the tears in her eyes reflected with the fire. "It collapsed on them."  
"There's still hope," Tigerstar growled. He scanned the den. The front had completely broken, and only a stack of flaming logs remained. "CLOUDPAW! BRIGHTPAW!" he yelled, hoping desperately that one of them would reply. A silence passed, and Tigerstar could only hear the crackling of flames. Then, finally, a reply came.

"Tigerstar? Is that you?" came Brightpaw's muffled wail. "We're stuck!"

"I know," he replied, practically pressing his face into the logs so the apprentices could hear him. "But Spottedleaf and I are gonna get you out, okay? I'm going to lift these logs on the count of three, and I can't do it very long, so you two have to run as fast as you possibly can. Okay?"

There was heavy breathing from the other side. Then came Cloudpaw's weak reply. "Okay."

"One," Tigerstar bellowed, "two, _three_!" Go, go go!" He shoved his shoulder underneath the bundle of sticks, lifting them from the ground with a tremendous effort. He felt the burning logs press into his skin, but ignored it as he saw Brightpaw's ginger and white fur blur out from the den. The minute Cloudpaw's tail disappeared, Tigerstar dropped the sticks and let out a relieved breath.

"Thank you!" exclaimed Brightpaw, blue eyes wide in amazement. Tigerstar shook his head.

"What were you even doing in there, Brightpaw?" he asked sternly. Brightpaw's mouth remained open but made no sound as she and Cloudpaw exchanged a guilty glance.

"She was flirting with Cloudpaw to make sure his face was okay," Spottedleaf interrupted tartly. "We have to go, you guys."

Tigerstar nodded, and they made their way towards the ravine. On the way there they passed the elders den, and Tigerstar caught sight of two pelt outside the entrance.

"What about Patchpelt and Halftail?" he roared. Spottedleaf shook her head and shuddered at seeing the limp pelt of the elders.

"They're gone, Tigerstar," she announced. Her eyes grew dull. "When I got there it was too late. We have to keep moving."

They pressed up the ravine until they were almost at the top. The only thing separating them from fire-free land was a log, looking quite unsteady from the fire.

"Tigerstar, go first," Spottedleaf commanded. "I'll usher up the apprentices to you."

Tigerstar nodded importantly and didn't think before unsheathing his claws and digging them into the softened wood. He ignored the flames below him, licking his paws hungrily. With one more leap, he felt his paws touch land and he exhaled.

Spottedleaf nosed Brightpaw across the log, holding out a paw to Brightpaw's unsteady side. The ginger and white apprentice looked absolutely terrified, but with Tigerstar's gentle persuasion, she joined him and leapt aside.

"Come on, Cloudpaw," Tigerstar urged. The white apprentice looked so small surrounded by the flames, and especially without half of his face. Spottedleaf steadied his left side with her paw until she could no longer reach him. Cloudpaw panicked as Spottedleaf let go and unsheathed his claws, digging them firmly into the wood. Tigerstar hardly dared to breathe.

"Cloudpaw," he urged gently. "Come on. You can do this. Just a few steps."

The white apprentice didn't look reassured, but he took a feeble step forward.

"Good, good," Tigerstar praised. "You're almost there. Take one big jump."

He held out his paw for assistance, and at that moment, the log cracked. Cloudpaw's single eye widened, and with a single, un-graceful leap, he tumbled up beside Tigerstar. The log snapped before tumbling into the fire, sending up an array of sparks. Tigerstar let out his breath with relief before he turned to Spottedleaf.

"Tigerstar!" she cried, pacing back and forth. Her ears lay flat worriedly. "I can't get across!"  
Tigerstar felt his heartbeat quicken. "There's a way!" he promised. He reached out his paw, as far as he could, and felt Cloudpaw and Brightpaw leap forward to peer over the edge. "Jump for my paw!"  
Spottedleaf's eyes rounded. "It's too far!"  
"No, it's not!" Tigerstar snapped, though he himself was pushing down his doubts. "You can do this, Spottedleaf!" he paused thoughtfully. "Do it so Cinderpelt won't be alone!"  
At his words, Spottedleaf regained her posture. Her chin jutted out in determination, and with the fire surrounding her, she almost had the air of a leader. Then she took a running start and leapt.

Tigerstar felt her claws dig around his paw, and felt the sudden weight force him towards the edge. Spottedleaf jerked her tail back as it touched the top of the fire.

"Pull!" Tigerstar cried to the apprentices, jerking his head at Spottedleaf. Cloudpaw and Brightpaw exchanged a glance before rushing over to the medicine cat, grabbing around her scruff. And then, with one, tremendous pull, All four cats tumbled backwards, into the woods.

"Is everyone okay?" Tigerstar asked, rolling over on his belly and watching the smoke rise to the midday sky. He suddenly lacked the energy to do anything at all.

He looked around. Spottedleaf looked dazed, Cloudpaw looked as if the dogs had come for him again, and Brightpaw was hacking up something, but other than that, they were okay.

As long as they were alive.

"Where is everyone else?" Tigerstar asked, rolling over to his paws and facing Spottedleaf. "Is anyone else dead?"

The medicine cat shook her head. "Only Patchpelt and Halftail. The rest of the Clan went to RiverClan to shelter until the fire goes out."

Tigerstar nodded his approval. "Good choice. Let's be on our way."

…

The four cats reached RiverClan not long after. Brightpaw spent the whole trip comforting the traumatized Cloudpaw, which Tigerstar secretly thought was adorable. Upon arrival, Crookedstar greeted them merrily and offered them a place outside camp with the rest of ThunderClan. Tigerstar thanked him before joining his Clanmates. But one cat caught his eye immediately after arriving: Leopardfur.

"So how's ThunderClan?" she asked softly. She slid up beside him as he overlooked his Clan, smelling of smoke and patched with wounds. Leopardfur's eyes were uncharacteristically soft with concern. "Is anyone dead?"

"We lost two elders," he replied gently, finding One-eye and Speckletail in the crowd looking especially saddened. "I didn't know the heat was going to get that bad."  
"Our streams were drying up," Leopardfur commented. A silence greeting both of them, and for some reason Tigerstar felt comfortable with her overlooking his Clan. Suddenly he felt her stiffen beside him, and he realized her eyes were on Cloudpaw. "What happened to _him_?" she breathed.

Tigerstar shuddered. "There's been a dog loose on our territory," he muttered, keeping his voice low around the other cats. "I think Firestar's behind it. I've never seen them so big before, especially not in our territory. My guess is that Firestar got them from Twolegplace, his home sweet home."

Leopardfur's eyes rounded. "That's horrible," she murmured. "I can't say I trust Firestar. He's brought nothing but trouble since he came to the forest."  
"Too right," Tigerstar agreed. He suppressed a shiver. "My fear is that he'll try to take all the Clans for himself."

"RiverClan will be ready," Leopardstar promised, unsheathing her claws. They watched in silence as the ThunderClan cats coughed. Spottedleaf and Cinderpelt were the only ones on their paws, treating the cats as they passed them by with Mudfur, the friendly RiverClan medicine cat, assisting them with herbs. Beside Mudfur was none other than Graystripe. The gray tom was weaving among his former Clanmates. Some greeting him with hostile snarls, but many welcomed their old friend with a rueful hello.

"He doesn't belong in RiverClan," Leopardstar murmured. Her gaze clouded sadly at the sight of Graystripe. "But he thinks his kits belong here, and he has to be their father."  
Tigerstar nodded thoughtfully as Graystripe caught sight of him and approached. He dipped his head in greeting.

"How are you?" Tigerstar asked politely.

"I'm well," Graystripe responded, though his dull eyes and drooping whiskers showed otherwise. "I suck at swimming, though."  
Tigerstar forced a laugh, unable to pry his gaze from Graystripe's sad-looking figure.

"Graystripe!" snapped a brown RiverClan she-cat from nearby. A patrol was behind her, looking over at their Clanmate with blank expressions. "Fishing!"

Graystripe sighed, a long, drawn-out thing that made Tigerstar pity him with every fiber in his being. Graystripe began to leave, casting Tigerstar and Leopardfur a bemoaning glance over his shoulder.

"I'll see you at the next Gathering," he said longingly, staring at ThunderClan. Then he was gone.

 **That was all over the place :o but yeah, next chapter is going to have a really interesting ending, I hope. Fyi, the dogs are going to kill two cats and injure a couple more, and i'm really not happy about the deaths, but ah, the show must go on. Any guesses as of who these two will be? (not going to say if they're right or not, I just want to know what you guys think)**


	18. Chapter 18

**WyldClaw: :D I'm glad you think so!  
Snowcrystal of thunderclan: i don't know how to break this to you but… Brindleface is already dead… and gave Tigerstar a life… because ShadowClan killed her.. But two completely different cats are going to die because of the dogs. I think it will be pretty sad so stay tuned**

 **Walkswithwheels: I think the one things I can tell overall is simply that this story is not about Snowpaw. I know there are many AUs about him living but the catch is, many (if not all) of these are in his perspective so we know exactly what's going on. And to be honest, I have never even read a Snowkit/paw story where he lives in my life. I didn't put much thought into his character because he is a background character. He is not even close to being important, at least not in this story. Here's what I can try to explain: 1, he goes by pretty much anything he can. He's working on reading lips and body gestures, and using the ground to feel for prey. However since he is in fact deaf and yes, most likely, this will be his downfall. There's just no way to avoid it. 2, I chose Mousefur as his mentor because I always saw her as no-nonsense. If you see her as impatient that's okay, everyone has different thoughts on certain characters. 3, If Bluestar hadn't been killed by Firestar, she would have gone insane just like when Tigerstar left in the original series. She would slowly lose her sanity and could honestly not care less about Snowkit. One hiccup with this is - you're right - there's no way Tigerstar and Mousefur would have known what would happen had she lived, as they mentioned last chapter. But that's just a writing mistake. I guess to wrap this up (and it's not just you, a bunch of people have asked about Snowpaw) is that it's important to remember that this story is not about Snowpaw. It is about Tigerstar. Just thought I'd put that out there, since he won't show up a lot in the future.**

 **Seeker3: Thank you! I really hope I get to do the next couple of series, depending on how this one ends, and I have a few plans already. But I will definitely take yours into consideration! :)**

The full moon shone luminously above Tigerstar's head. He glanced up at it uncertainly before padding into the clearing, where the four oaks towered above the group of ThunderClan cats. The other Clans were already there, and Tigerstar got a running start to the rock. With a great bound, he leapt up on the end, beside Crookedstar. The WindClan and RiverClan leader had wisely put him and Firestar on opposite sides, to avoid what happened in the previous Gathering, Tigerstar assumed. Not that he had a problem with it; he was actually quite glad he was as far away from the ginger leader as possible.

"Now that we're all here, let the Gathering begin!" Tallstar began. His voice was sent piercing through the crisp night air. Since the fire, the weather had finally been deteriorating to a cooler state.

"RiverClan will go first," Crookedstar wheezed. He took in a deep breath, and his breath rattled in his throat. Tigerstar winced at how his eyes sunk in his head and how sickly he looked. Perhaps he would not be there next Gathering. "We have been doing fine lately. Heavypaw and Shadepaw are now Heavystep and Shadepelt. Dawnpaw is our new apprentice." He stopped to give the other warriors a chance to congratulate the newly ranked before going on. "This warm weather has caused the streams to run low, but it's nothing serious and we've been getting back on things just-" he broke off in a coughing fit. Tallstar draped his long tail over the brown tabby's back wordlessly.

"WindClan has also suffered from the heat," he went on. "However, there has been no delay in training. Webpaw, Tawnypaw, and Whitepaw have become Webfoot, Tawnyfur, and Whitetail, and Whitetail has moved to the nursery. We have one new apprentice, Gorsepaw. His mentor is Onewhisker."

Tigerstar scanned the crowd as the young tom's name was chanted. The light brown tom was grinning broadly in the front of the crowd. His mentor Onewhisker was sitting beside him, looking calm but proud of the young tom next to him. Tallstar stepped back, nodding at Tigerstar.

Tigerstar raised his chin to the moonlight. "The other day, a fire blazed through our camp. We lost two elders and thankfully no one else. We give our gratitude to RiverClan, who aided assistance. We are stronger than ever. However," he added, feeling his belly begin to turn. "A few days before the fire Spottedleaf and I made a shocking discovery. One of our apprentices - Cloudpaw - had been attacked by something much larger than a fox or badger. I urge you to keep younger cats in camp more strictly until further investigations prove whatever mauled our apprentice is gone."  
A flurry of worried murmurs followed Tigerstar's words. The brown tabby snuck a glance at Firestar, but the ginger tom looked as appalled as the other leaders. He stepped forward, as if challenging Tigerstar to stay up next to him.

"We will look out for these beasts," he promised, casting a glance at Brokentail. The deputy's eyes shone with something Tigerstar couldn't read. "ShadowClan has recruited the strongest kittypets to join our ranks. They will help us get through this weak time."

"Kittypets!" Tigerstar meowed under his breath. He could hardly believe it, but a row of lean, sleek muscled cats lined the front row of ShadowClan, outshining their new Clanmates by far. A few of them had bright fabric around their neck, and a few had hairless spots where the collar had used to be. Each one of them looked ready to rip the Clan cats apart, except for a little black tom on the end, whose blue eyes shone with the idea of battle. _Those are kittypets?_

Apparently the other Clans were thinking the same thing Tigerstar was.

"Kittypets!" a RiverClan she-cat sniffed, turning up her nose at the kittypet tom nearby. "Have you all gone mad?"

"Their leader's a kittypet," a WindClan tom commented, nudging the RiverClan she-cat with his shoulder. "Why shouldn't their entire Clan be?"  
"Enough!" Brokentail snapped, leaping to his paws. Heads snapped to face the deputy. "You all know of our prophecy. It's not done. This is part of it. If you dare question StarClan, you're welcome to leave."

A moment of silence swept through the crowd. Tigerstar glanced up at the moon uncertainly. Thin gray clouds were beginning to creep towards it. Another WindClan tom - Tigerstar recognized him as Tornear - broke the silence.

"We're not questioning StarClan!" he blurted. "We're questioning your sanity!"  
That sparked an argument. The ShadowClan kittypets began to bristle, with the other Clans yowling and spitting at their new enemies. Brokentail was defending his Clan the best he could, and even the other leaders had joined to try to quiet it down or fight for their Clan.

Before anyone even realized it, the moon was completely covered.

… …

Tigerstar woke up with a blazing headache later that night.

The Gathering had ended. Tigerstar had gone home, and his head was mildly buzzing from the commotion of the Gathering. A voice in the back of his brain seemed to speak to him, but he ignored it. Then, as he struggled to sleep, a small headache turned to a splitting one, and the voice grew louder. He had finally drifted off to sleep with Goldenflower curled up next to him (Willowpelt had agreed to watched Bramblekit and Tawnykit for a few nights), but awoke in a cold sweat.

 _Pack, Pack_.

Tigerstar's head was panging and throbbing, and he forced himself out of his nest. The creatures had spoken to him through a dream again. He crept away from Goldenflower the best he could before stumbling towards the medicine den.

"Spottedleaf?" he rasped, poking his head into the den. In the back, he saw a silhouetted head raise.

"Tigerstar?' she murmured. "Is it morning?"

"Not yet," he mumbled. "Great StarClan, I've got a killer headache."  
 _Kill, Kill._

"Me too," the tortoiseshell grumbled, sliding out of her nest and going towards her stock of medicine. Her paw drew across old leaves until she landed on one Tigerstar was unfamiliar with. She shook her head. "I've had the weirdest dream lately. I was hunting, and then suddenly this huge animal thing came up behind me, and-"

"Pack, Pack. Kill, Kill."  
At first Tigerstar thought he was the one that had spoken. But then he realized the voice had come from the back of the den. He and Spottedleaf both slowly turned to see the whimpering shape of Cloudpaw huddled in the corner. Spottedleaf wordlessly slid the herb to him before trotting over to the asleep apprentice.

"He's having the same dream," Tigerstar realized aloud, swallowing the bitter leaf and making his way over to Cloudpaw. "I've had it too. I think that's why I have a headache."

Spottedleaf's eyes rounded but she said nothing as she leered over Cloudpaw. His legs were flailing wildly, like he was running. Then he stopped, with his mouth slightly opened.

"Fireheart?" he whispered in the tiniest, most feeble voice. Then he screamed, so loud Tigerstar's head throbbed. His blood ran cold as he looked at Spottedleaf.

"I'll figure this out," she muttered, looking quite unsure of herself. "I'll talk to Cinderpelt the minute she wakes up. If this many cats are having the same dream, it could easily be an omen."

As she spoke, dawn broke on the horizon, letting a hazy pink light filter through the den.

"You'd better go," she murmured, casting a glance over her shoulder. "You've got a Clan to run."  
"And you've got a prophecy to crack," Tigerstar replied, ducking as he left the den. He bid Spottedleaf goodbye, but before he could even completely emerge back in camp a loud voice pierced his ears.

"Tigerstar! Tigerstar!"

Tigerstar spun around as he recognized Darkstripe's voice. The gray tom broke into camp, yellow eyes wide. He pushed his headache to the back of his mind. Spottedleaf had heard too and slid up next to Tigerstar, confused.

"What's the meaning of this?" he growled, casting a wary glance at his Clan, peering out from their dens curiously. "It's barely dawn."

Darkstripe hunched over, panting, as the rest of his patrol emerged. As Tigerstar saw who was with them, his heart sunk.

It was Brokentail.  
"What do you want?" Tigerstar spat, leaning towards the ShadowClan deputy. Brokentail only grinned.

"We found him on our territory. He refused to leave, so we just brought him back," Darkstripe explained, shooting a glare at Brokentail.

"Clan meeting," Tigerstar growled, flicking his tail dismissively. Runningwind, spread the world." the brown tabby nodded importantly and sprinted away. "Darkstripe, take Brokentail to the iddle of camp, please."  
Darkstripe scowled but said nothing as Tigerstar turned towards the Highrock. Every step felt like he was walking on thorns. _What does Brokentail want?_

As the Clan Gathered, leaving a painfully wide gap around Brokentail, Tigerstar flicked his tail to begin.

"Brokentail," he began evenly. "Is there something you need, if you were so-called waiting on our territory?"  
"Yeah, or were you stealing prey because your kittypets can't hunt?" Longtail added in a hiss. Cats began to yowl, but Tigerstar quieted them sternly.

"I just came to talk," Brokentail revealed calmly, wrapping his crooked tail around his paws.

"There's nothing to talk about," Tigerstar retorted. "You have Firestar. You have your kittypets. You have your prophecy. Your quarrel with ThunderClan is over."

"Oh, the prophecy is already done," Brokentail growled. Tigerstar tipped his head to the side. "But my war with your Clan is never over, Tigerstar."

"And what does that mean?" Tigerstar replied, feeling the fur rise along his spine. Brokentail rose to his paws, tail lashing.

"You'll never understand, will you?" the brown tom spat, leering close to the Highrock. Tigerstar saw Brokentail's claws unsheathe and took a step back.  
"My Clan was suffering and you sat back and let it happen," the deputy went on accusingly. "I cannot let you get away with that."  
"And ThunderClan hasn't suffered because of you?" Dakrstripe broke in. "Were the deaths of Lionheart, Bluestar, Brindleface and Thornpaw not good enough to be considered suffering?"  
The dark gray tabby leaned in close to Brokentail, curling his lip in menace. "I'm sorry, Brokentail, but you killed a queen, an apprentice, a deputy, and a leader. That's not what StarClan wants."  
"You know nothing about what they want!" Brokentail snarled. Suddenly, his unsheathed claws were poised at Darkstripe's throat, and he took a tremendous leap. Darkstripe yowled and flung backwards.

Tigerstar leapt to his paws. "Stop!" he hollered. He looked to his Clanmates helplessly. "Pry them apart!"

Mousefur bounded forward as Tigerstar hurried down the slope to help Darkstripe, but the brown she-cat was flung away easily. Darkstripe's head jerked backwards as Brokentail's paw some down on his head, cutting a gash across his cheek.

Tigerstar took a leap towards the fighting cats, btu Brokentail's claws were at Darkstripe's throat. Tigerstar realized in a horrible moment that Darkstripe was being strangled.

The gray tabby's eyes were bulging, but in a single, swift movement he reached his head up and drilled his teeth into Brokentail's throat. He bit down until blood began to gush down his face, with ThunderClan cheering wildly. The minute Brokentail finally let go of Darkstripe's throat and sheathed his claws, the gray tabby released his grasp and stood back, eyes wide and face dripping with blood that wasn't his own.

Brokentail stumbled back. His eyes were wide at the open wound in his throat, but he was eerily calm. Spottedleaf rushed towards him, but he hissed at him and batted a paw her way. A long, dead moment passed, filled only with Brokentail's raspy breathing. Then the deputy collapsed.

Gasps echoed through the Clan. Darkstripe's eyes rounded as Tigerstar took cautious steps forward and leaned over Brokentail. Only the faint rise and fall of his flank told Tigerstar he was still alive. Then he spoke.

"You're all stupid, aren't you?" he growled, barely a whisper. Blood gurgled from his wound as he spoke. A yellow eye flickered sideways and met Tigerstar, full of menace. Tigerstar shrugged coldly.

"I'm not the one dying."  
Brokentail laughed, so hoarse and raspy Tigerstar wanted to claw his own ears. "Fire may have saved my Clan," Brokentail hissed, almost triumphantly, "but it will destroy yours."

Then he went still.

Silence swept the Clan. Cinderpelt hobbled forward, pressing her paw to his flank. "He's dead," she announced, raising her head grimly.

"I'm so sorry," Darkstripe spluttered, looking in horror at Brokentail's body. "I didn't mean to kill him, I just wanted him to get off of me. Promise."

"We all saw that it was an act of self-defense," Tigerstar promised, draping his tail over his bloody friend's shoulder. "At least Brokentail died and not you. It's fine."  
"It's not fine!"

Tigerstar's head snapped up at Spottedleaf's voice. The medicine cat pushed to the front of the crowd, glaring at him furiously.

"What's wrong?" Tigerstar asked, slightly taken aback. "Brokentail is dead, aren't you happy?" Spottedleaf hissed.

"Of course not!" she snapped. "He _wanted_ to die today!"  
That grabbed ThunderClan's attention. A few cats were murmuring anxiously to each other, casting worried glances at Tigerstar and Brokentail's body.

"I figured it out not long ago. I was going to tell you, Tigerstar. But we've gotten…" she looked at Cloudpaw, who sat in the back of the crowd with a horrified expression. "...busy."  
Tigerstar growled. "Go on."  
Spottedleaf took in a quick breath. "As you all know, Brokentail used to be the leader of ShadowClan. Aka, he had nine lives." A few nods sprouted from her statement. "Anyway, obviously, he still had one left. And that's why Nightstar was only leader for a few sunrises. Because he was already sickly enough, and he only had one life. His original life."  
Pelts began to prickle as ThunderClan began to realize what Spottedleaf was hinting at, but she still wasn't done. "Anyway, once Nightstar died, it gave the perfect space for Firestar to waltz up and take his place. Their prophecy was almost complete. The only issue was, Brokentail was still alive. If he returned to the Moonstone, Firestar would only get eight lives. If he went on living, Firestar would get none. But if he was dead…"

Gasps began to erupt as Spottedleaf trailed off. Cats whispered frequently to one another, and Tigerstar turned to Spottedleaf with wide eyes.

"Who didn't tell me?" he whispered, feeling a spark of betrayal. "I could have stopped this."  
"There was no good time," she replied, almost sheepishly. Her head fell. "I'm sorry."

"Well, you just caused what could be an uproar," Tigerstar retorted. "I'm your leader. Do you not trust me?"

Spottedleaf said nothing but stepped back. Hurt shone in Tigerstar's eyes.

"Treat Darkstripe," he snarled. Spottedleaf nodded, fire in her eyes, as she padded to her den.  
Then Tigerstar, who was ignoring his quarrel with Spottedleaf, turned to his old friend, who stood above Brokentail's body in pure horror.

"Congratulations," Tigerstar growled, sliding up beside Darkstripe. "You just gave Firestar nine lives."

 **Many of you had questions about Firestar's lives, hopefully that cleared it up. So now he's actually a full-on leader. Also, by next chapter this story will be at 100 pages with the default font (12). It's only a month old, too! :D**


	19. Chapter 19

**WyldClaw: Desperate times call for desperate measures!**

 **Snowcrystal of thunderclan: nah, you're good. :p I'm having trouble keeping up myself. Happy-ish ending is leaning more towards** _**ish**_ **, if you know what I mean. Depending on your opinion of it, of course.**

 **Mablestory: ohmygosh thank you so much! Sweetest review!**

 **Walkswithwheels: actually he only stuck with one life for roughly a month, so it's not too terribly long. ShadowClan has lied low for that moon up until now. The Clan is almost done recovering from their sickness, and with Brokentail shoving the prophecy down their throat, they don't question it. Firestar most likely consulting StarClan the first time, got denied, and lied to ShadowClan. The second time when he actually got his lives he most likely told them some prophecy bs about how he needed to "consult the ancestors." Do they believe him or not? Some have their doubts, I assume, but who dares question a leader and a prophecy? I know you already answered your second question regarding the kittypets, but I'll tell it anyway for those who didn't catch it: they are indeed the BloodClan cats, except BloodClan doesn't exist. So they're kittypet turned rogue turned ShadowClan things. And finally, as for the dogs, that's for me to know and you to find out… later :)**

 **Seeker3: True.. and thanks! I really hope I can do all the series (w/o Dawn of the Clans, that'd get too confusing), so I'd really be nice if Dovewing and Ivypool were… you know… born? I actually was going to kill Cloudpaw when he got attacked by the dogs but changed it at the very last minute because I realized he was their grandfather and if he died, they would not exist. So you can count on Cloudtail, Brightheart, Whitewing, Ferncloud, Dustpelt, and Birchfall living a while longer. :)**

Tigerstar arched his back in a yawn as the final patrol left camp. Life had simply gone on after Darkstripe fought Brokentail, with every cat pushing their worries to the back of their throats. Firestar had nine lives now. Tigerstar swallowed back a shiver. With Firestar willing to sacrifice his deputy - the one cat that was forcing the prophecy down everyone's throats - what else would he do?

Brokentail's body was brought back to ShadowClan. Tigerstar hadn't come himself, but he sent a patrol consisting of merely Spottedleaf, Cinderpelt, and Whitestorm, to make it look the least hostile as possible. They explained it how it was: Brokentail was taken to camp, attacked another cat, and then died during an act of defense. The patrol had yet to return.

"Tigerstar!"

Tigerstar's head twisted from his spot atop the Highrock to see Brackenfur, Longtail, and Fernpaw leading another group of cats behind him. Tigerstar sucked in his breath. _Please don't be ShadowClan, please don't be ShadowClan._

As he clambered down the rock with worry clawing at his belly, he met amused amber eyes as soon as he reached the bottom. He let out a quick sigh of relief as he recognized Leopardfur, and behind her, Stonefur and Graystripe. Brackenfur exchanged a hostile glance with Stonefur, but Longtail cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"Don't worry, they're not trespassers," he explained quickly. "They were waiting by our border and just wanted to talk."  
Leopardfur stood, deciding it was her turn to talk. Her tail was higher than usual, and her chin was in the air dramatically. "Crookedstar has died," she announced somberly, yet loudly enough so that nearby cats could hear. "I have received nine lives and Stonefur is my new deputy."  
"Oh, look, a leader that actually got nine lives," grumbled a voice beside Tigerstar. He flicked an ear as Goldenflower sauntered up beside him, plopping down next to him and grooming her barely colored coat with an eye on Leopardstar. Tigerstar couldn't help a snort at her retort.

"RiverClan hopes to have a long and prosperous peace with ThunderClan," Leopardstar went on smoothly. Her gaze locked with Tigerstar's, and Tigerstar felt the golden leader lean towards him slightly. "That is, if you're up for that."  
Tigerstar's fur flushed. "Of course I am."  
"Of course he is," Goldenflower repeated. Her fur was prickling against Tigerstar's pelt.

"And who are you?" Leopardstar asked mildly, looking at Goldenflower with a glint in her eyes. Goldenflower looked as if she was going to growl.

"Tigerstar's mate," was all she said. Suddenly Bramblekit and Tawnykit rolled out from behind her back, locked together in a wrestle. Tigerstar was shocked at how big they were getting. Any day they would be apprentices.

"Those are his _kits_ ," Goldenflower added, adding emphasis on _kits_. She sounded like she was explaining something to a kit. "Their names are _Tawnykit_ and _Bramblekit_."  
Tigerstar felt his pelt grow hot as a tense silence grew between the she-cats. "So, er, yeah, if that's all, on behalf of ThunderClan, I welcome you as the new leader of RiverClan," he finished awkwardly, staring at his paws. By the way Goldenflower tensed against him, he knew he wasn't speaking on behalf of _every_ one.

"I'm not quite done," Leopardstar added cheekily. She stepped aside, revealing the cat who had not yet spoken. "Graystripe?"

The gray tom cleared his throat apprehensively, looking from Leopardstar to Tigerstar.

"I was doing some thinking lately," he began quietly.

"Speak up," Tigerstar growled, narrowing his eyes to slits. Though he and Graystripe had once been friends, this tom was RiverClan warrior now. Surely, they were mere acquaintances now. Graystripe swallowed nervously.

"I was thinking," he added, this time a little louder, "about this whole Firestar deal. And I know I went to RiverClan because I wanted to hide. I wanted to protect Featherpaw and Stormpaw. But now I realize I was a coward. I want them to be safe, I really do. But me?" Graystripe's voice lost its shakiness as he rose his head fearlessly. "It's not my home, no matter how protected they keep me. If - no, _when_ Firestar attacks, I want to die at the paws of my ThunderClan kin. I want to die at home."

Tigerstar raised one eyebrow. "And what are you saying?"

"You know what I'm saying," Graystripe meowed, gaze hardening. "I'm coming back to ThunderClan."

Tigerstar's eyes narrowed. "You can't just _decide_ that."

Graystripe opened his mouth to protest, but Leopardstar flicked her tail for silence.

"Although I can see why it's best if he stays at RiverClan, I agree with him," she meowed softly. Graystripe gave her a thankful glance. "I've observed him since he joined. He's never been truly happy. He's just there for his kits. All he's talked about is ThunderClan."

Graystripe's head dropped, and Tigerstar felt his heart soften. "But what about your kits?" he added with a sidelong glance at Leopardstar and Stonefur. "If you're coming, surely they're going with you?"

Leopardstar shook her head firmly. "No, Tigerstar. Those kits belong to their mother's Clan no matter what. If Graystripe is choosing you over them, I don't know what else he can do to prove his loyalty to ThunderClan."

Tigerstar looked at Graystripe for a long time. The gray tom did look miserable: his fur had dulled, his eyes lost their shine, and his figure was drooping low. "Please," Graystripe whispered.

Tigerstar gave a long, exaggerated sigh to hide his smile. "You're welcome back," he grumbled. Graystripe's face twisted to shock and his ears perked. "This is the easiest part," Tigerstar warned. "You have to earn your Clanmates' trust as well."  
"Oh, I will!" Graystripe nodded eagerly. Tigerstar nodded his approval.

"Glad to hear it," he meowed genuinely. Leopardstar and Stonefur bid him a farewell before going. He turned back to Graystripe. "Let's see how you deal with leading a patrol," he decided. "We've got beasts on our territory we need to investigate. Come on, I'm joining in on it."

 **I had to split this chapter into two because of formatting issues, because apparently my computer can't handle almost 5000 words. That's why there are two updates. Chapter 19 and 20 are just one long chapter, basically.**


	20. Chapter 20

**part two, I guess**

Tigerstar followed Graystripe wordlessly through the woods. Beside him was Brackenfur, and somewhere in the back was Sandstorm, slowed down for whatever reason.

The light ginger she-cat trotted ahead briskly, glancing at the sky. Tigerstar observed her. Her breathing was rushed, like mere walking was winding her. She wasn't the youngest warrior anymore - Brackenfur had that on her - but she certainly shouldn't have been acting like the oldest cat there.

"Wait up, you guys," Sandstorm huffed, pelt fluffing out against the sudden chilly weather. Brackenfur purred teasingly.

"Maybe instead of taking more from the fresh-kill pile, you could join more hunts," he joked, nudging her. His legs were so long he nearly had to reach down to hit Sandstorm.

"That's not something you say to a she-cat," Graystripe warned from ahead. Nevertheless, the light ginger she-cat was irked.

"I haven't been busy lately. ShadowClan's done, I think, and ever since I became a warrior nothing's happened," she explained tartly. Tigerstar bit his tongue. _Nothing's happened? Firestar was exiled, four cats died, there are wild beasts trying to kill our cats, and you think nothin's happened?  
_ But then he remembered Sandstorm and Firestar had been close friends before his exile. So maybe in her eyes, the ginger tyrant had done nothing wrong.

Brackenfur grinned. "Whatever you say." To Graystripe, he added, "where are we headed, anyway?"

The gray tom stopped briefly, scenting the air. "I'm not quite sure, but I'm getting a whiff of something odd towards Snakerocks."

Sandstorm snorted. "Are you mousebrained?" she huffed. "That's no beast. That's a fox. Have all the fish in RiverClan gotten to your senses?"

Graystripe stopped in his tracks and bristled. Sandstorm half-grinned, eyes narrowed, looking like she genuinely wanted to fight. Tigerstar gave a quick growl and trotted in between them.

"Graystripe, you're right. That's the beast-smell, alright," he began quickly, giving the gray tom a nod of approval. He turned to Sandstorm, whose lip was curled in a snarl. "Sandstorm, if you can't properly welcome Graystripe then you're welcome to go home."

Sandstorm huffed, and the minute Tigerstar turned his back he could practically feel her making faces at him. He and Brackenfur exchanged a glance.

They had almost reached Snakerocks when they began to see pawprints. Tigerstar shivered as he pointed them out to the rest of the group, reminding him of when he and Spottedleaf had seen Cloudpaw slaughtered. Brackenfur placed his own paw on top of the beast's pawprint apprehensively. Tigerstar could see the whites in the young warrior's eyes as he jerked his paw back, whiskers quivering.

"Are you sure about this?" he squeaked. "What happens if we run into the beasts? This isn't exactly an attack patrol."  
"Relax," Tigerstar grunted, brushing past him. "If we find them- hence if, we go back without disturbing them and then decided what to do. All we know is that somewhere on this territory-"

"Tigerstar! Look at this!"  
Tigerstar pased mid-speech at Graystripe's shrill voice. The gray tom was nearby, hovering over another footprint and bristling. Tigerstar had a twisting feeling in his belly as he made his way over to Graystripe. Wide yellow eyes met amber before Tigerstar looked down in horror.

"That's not a beast paw," Brackenfur whispered, voicing everyone's thoughts. "That's a ThunderClan apprentice!"

"There are two sets!" Sandstorm reported from not far away. Her voice was, for once, coated wiht worry. "Are any apprentices out of camp?"

"There aren't any that are supposed to be," Tigerstar retorted. He jerked his head forward to where the pawprints disappeared under a blackberry bush. "Well?" he added grimly. "We've got to find them before-"  
He was broken off as another cat leapt through the bush and slammed into his chest. Tigerstar bowled over with a ginger blur latched onto his pelt. The stranger jumped off of him immediately as he leapt to his paws, unsheathing his claws, and crouching to face his attacker.

He recognized Brightpaw before he had the chance to attack. She was terrified: her eyes were round, her fur was fluffed up, and her tail was flickering - but something told Tigerstar it wasn't just bumping into him that had frightened her.

"Brightpaw!" Brackenfur blurted, rushing up to the ginger and white she-cat with a flood of relief. "We were so worried you'd run into the beast!"  
Brightpaw pulled away, giving a quizzical glance back at Graystripe.

"You're back?" she meowed in wonder.

"Yes, but that's not important right now," the gray tom growled, opening his mouth to taste the air. "Who else was with you?"

"When you left camp without a warrior," Sandstorm added edgily. Brightpaw's head ducked.

"Well, Swiftpaw and I wanted to earn your warrior names, so we thought we'd fight the beasts ourselves," she muttered sheepishly, shuffling her paws and looking suddenly uncomfortable. "We split up just a few heartbeats ago."

Then a shriek split the air. Brackenfur and Tigerstar exchanged a horrified glance. Brightpaw's head jerked up.

"Swiftpaw!" Graystripe groaned. Brightpaw leapt to her paws and darted back towards the blackberry bush.

"He went this way!" she exclaimed. Tigerstar followed her, inwardly cursing at the thorns that snagged his pelt. He reached a clearing, then followed Brightpaw down a rocky slope until a river came into view.

"Help!"

"Over there!" Brackenfur exclaimed, jerking his head at a cluster of pine trees. Tigerstar changed direction, following the other cats until his paws touched grass. In the distance, he could see a black and white blur surrounded by large, ugly brown things.

He stopped a few fox-lengths away, along with the rest of the patrol. The beasts looked at him.

They were dogs - three of them. The same dogs from his dreams.

They weren't moving, only staring at Swiftpaw with malicious grins in their beady eyes. Swiftpaw's flank was oozing with a dribble of blood, and with satisfaction Tigerstar realized the apprentice had managed to score a wound across one dog's face.

"Swiftpaw," Brackenfur growled through clenched teeth. He said every word slowly and quietly. "Don't make any sudden movements. Walk towards me."  
At first Tigerstar wasn't even sure if Swiftpaw had heard him, but exhaled as he took one slow step back. Then he took another step, even risking a glance over his shoulder. The dogs stared at him, growling, waiting for him to make the first move. Swiftpaw was getting comfortable walking back until his hind paw landed smack on a twig.

A loud crack echoed through the forest. Swiftpaw grimaced as the dogs went berserk, leaping with their jaws wide and tongues dangling.

"Go!" Tigerstar roared, bunching his muscles and leaping forward. He pelted up next to Swiftpaw and unsheathed his claws. The leanest dog, black and brown, swung his head down to grab at Swiftpaw. Tigerstar leapt up and grabbed onto its muzzle, dragging the great head down to the ground. He was absently aware that Swiftpaw had darted to the dog's side, clawing at its belly while it was down.

At once the dog had had enough, and threw its head up. Tigerstar felt his paws leave the ground momentarily as he was thrown backwards onto his side. He scrambled to his paws, blood roaring in his ears, and saw that Swiftpaw had abandoned the dog to fight side-by-side with Brightpaw. Their pawswipes were matching, like they had prepared for this moment a long time.

The lean, brown and black dog shook his head, blood flying from his muzzle where Tigerstar had grabbed it, and rested his beady gaze on Tigerstar. Tigerstar took a feeble step back as the dog's lip began to curl. They were so close Tigerstar could smell its rotten breath. He recoiled, preparing for an attack that never came.

Instead, a victory cry could be heard from Sandstorm, Graystripe, and Brackenfur. The due watched in satisfaction as the third dog retreated, limping with a bloodied and twisted paw.

Then the two cats turned to the final dogs. Brightpaw and Swiftpaw broke away from their dog, only suffering minor cuts. The dogs packed closer together, still snarling but now looking doubtful. The six cats circled around the cats, pelting each other and raking their claws against the ground. Then, to Tigerstar's surprise, the dogs turned around, gave the cats one last yearning glance, and ran off into the shadows.

The cats stood there for a long moment, breathing heavily and wondered if that had actually happened.

"We did it," Graystripe huffed, looking amazed. "We won."

"Let's be glad no one is hurt," Tigerstar added with a glare at the apprentices. "What were you _thinking_?"

Brightpaw shrunk back at his words. Swiftpaw swallowed, chin up, but looked worried nonetheless.

"We wanted to impress you," he said meekly. He and Brightpaw looked at each other. "We thought if we could find the beasts we could get our full names. We didn't want to fight them."  
"Have either of you seen Cloudpaw's face lately?" Tigerstar scolded dryly. "You could have died!"

"Tigerstar." Tigerstar turned as Brackenfur padded up next to him and draped his tail over his back. "I agree that them going behind your back to find the dogs was a bad idea. But did you see them fight? Sure, they had a few slip-ups, but I didn't notice any mistakes." Brackenfur paused to shrug. "I'd've thought they were warriors if I didn't know them."  
Tigerstar looked at the young warrior with bulging eyes. "Were you fighting the dogs or critiquing them?" he asked. Brackenfur grinned.

"I fought next to Brightpaw," he explained. Swiftpaw and Brightpaw both looked up at Tigerstar with wide, imploring eyes.

Tigerstar gave a long, dramatic sigh.

"Let's go," he grunted. "Your mothers and mentors are probably worried sick. We've got explaining to do."

"And a ceremony to do?" Swiftpaw quipped.

Tigerstar couldn't suppress a grin. "Yes, and two ceremonies."

… …

"Swiftpaw, Brightpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?"  
Tigerstar stood above the Highrock, looking down at the two apprentices and their mentors.

Whitestorm and Longtail looked equally thrilled as they stood behind their soon-to-be-former apprentices. Swiftpaw and Brightpaw were still tinted with fresh scars, but their eyes dulled their tiredness.

"I do," Swiftpaw said, amber eyes glowing. Somewhere behind him, Goldenflower watched her son fondly.

"I do," Brightpaw echoed. She looked sad for a moment - maybe because Thornpaw wasn't sharing in this moment with her - but he was there, Tigerstar knew. Just not where she could see him.

"Then by the power of StarClan, I grant you your new names. Swiftpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Swiftclaw. StarClan honors your bravery and spirit."  
Swiftclaw leaned up, and Tigerstar rested his muzzle on his head. He watched the new warrior step back, grinning wildly as his name was chanted.

"Brightpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Brightheart. StarClan honors your kindness and wisdom."

Brightheart almost jumped forward, her blue eyes glinting happily as Tigerstar laid his muzzle atop her head. As he stepped back, the warriors' names were chanted and lifted into the sky. Cloudpaw was cheering the hardest for Brightheart. Tigerstar knew that not long from now, Fernpaw, Ashpaw, and even Cloudpaw would be receiving their names, too. Willowpelt's kits would be born soon. Not even in a few days would Bramblekit and Tawnykit be Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw.

Tigerstar couldn't help a smile. For once, he pushed the thought of the dogs far behind him.

 **Sorry about the formatting issues! But hey, 100 pages!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Snowcrystal** **of thunderclan: yay, right? :D Swiftpaw living is kind of overused, but i did it anyway lol**

 **hayjay5304: i will do something with him... if i end up doing a second and third book... you'll see, he'll be important then.**

 **Seeker3: I'm glad everyone's happy with Swiftclaw!**

 **Spottedheart: not too many chapters away now! And you caught on :)**

Half a moon had passed since Swiftclaw and Brightheart had nearly lost their lives, but Tigerstar couldn't have been happier. Because now in front of him stood his kits, looking thrilled as their new names were chanted.

"Tawnypaw! Bramblepaw! Tawnypaw! Bramblepaw!"

Tigerstar stepped back with pride as his kits raised their heads in pride at their new names. Behind Tawnypaw and Bramblepaw stood Sandstorm and Brackenfur, their mentors, respectively. Brackenfur looked thrilled at the idea of his first apprentice, as did Sandstorm. Cinderpelt was by the medicine den with Spottedleaf. She looked a tiny bit crushed that her brother was getting a warrior apprentice and she would never get one, but her eyes gleamed as she cheered the ktis on.

As the crowd dispersed, Tigerstar hopped down from the Highrock. His amber gaze shifted across camp and skimmed past pelts as he looked for one gaze in particular. Then he found her, weaving through the crowd to meet him.

Goldenflower rushed up to her mate and slid her head under his chin, purring fiercely. Tigerstar echoed her purr.

"I'm so proud of them," she murmured, switching her golden glance as the mentors and apprentices left camp. Tigerstar watched as Bramblepaw's thick brown tail disappeared past the barrier.

"Me too," he agreed fondly. "Fernpaw and Ashpaw will be warriors, soon. And has Willowpelt named her new kits yet, by the way?"

"Sootkit, Rainkit, and Sorrelkit," Goldenflower purred. "I'll miss seeing them in the nursery. They're absolute angels!"

"That's wonderful," Tigerstar replied, sneaking a glance at the nursery. Goldenflower's spot was empty, so fresh that the moss was still there and had her imprint on it. Willowpelt was nudging her kits in closer to her belly. "I'm glad there's new life in ThunderClan during such a harsh time."  
"Especially with our new rankings," Goldenflower added, nudging her with a friendly glint in her eyes. "I'm so proud of them. Tawnypaw especially. I was sure she'd want to be a medicine cat!"  
Tigerstar froze and tilted his head. He felt slight confusion tingle in his paws. "Tawnypaw wanted to be a medicine cat?"  
Now it was Goldenflower's turn to draw away from him, confused. "Well, she never went out to practice her moves with Bramblepaw when he hung out with Fernpaw and Ashpaw. She kind of just.. .stayed inside the nursery."  
Tigerstar shrugged. "She may have just been shy."  
"StarClan, I hope so," Goldenflower breathed, kneading the grass below her paws with her unsheathed claws. "I just hope she wasn't too quiet to speak up. What if she was supposed to be a medicine cat? ThunderClan would be the butt of all jokes; to think, _three_ medicine cats?"

Tigerstar chuckled at the idea. "Perhaps she's still emerging from her shell," he suggested. "She never hung out with Spottedleaf and Cinderpelt, did she?"

Goldenflower pondered for a heartbeat, then blinked thoughtfully. "No," she answered honestly. "And if she did, I never saw. But my eye was on her all the time. She didn't seem to want to participate."  
"Tigerstar!" Whitestorm hollered from the fresh-kill pile, beside Runningwind and Darkstripe. His fluffy tail flicked in a polite gesture. "A word?"  
"One minute," Tigerstar responded. He met Goldenflower's gaze, lowering his voice. "I'll watch out for her," he promised. He licked his mate's ear comfortingly. "After all, she's my daughter, too."

… …

A moon had passed since Tigerstar had spoken to Goldenflower. The more he observed Tawnypaw, the more he realized how uncomfortable she looked. He sat outside his den as dawn patrols began to come back, ear twitching in greeting as each cat returned and as the younger apprentices left to train and the older ones came back to camp. The fresh-kill pile began to grow as a hunt returned, and Mousefur, the lead, excused herself from Snowpaw and made her way over to Tigerstar.

Her tail was kinked over her back cheekily. "Someone's looking glum," she commented, tipping her head to the side. "Especially when the fresh-kill is flourishing."  
Tigerstar let out a deep sigh. "Oh, the pile's wonderful," he agreed. His voice obviously didn't carry his thoughts, and Mousefur's eyes narrowed. "I'm worried about Tawnypaw," he admitted honestly.

Mousefur examined him carefully, and Tigerstar felt almost judged. "And why is that?" she asked, sitting down and curling her thin tail over her paws.

"I don't know," Tigerstar replied honestly. He shuffled his paws worriedly. "Goldenflower was talking about her being shy as a kit. She never really talked with the other cats."

Mousefur's whiskers twitched in amusement. " _Tawnypaw_ doesn't talk?" she meowed. "My apprentice is deaf!"

"You know what I mean," Tigerstar's eyes rolled. "She doesn't socialize. At least Snowpaw communicates."  
"Exactly," Mousefur said in an uncharacteristically soft voice. "Snowpaw used to be afraid of everyone and, well-" she snuck a glance over her shoulder, then looked back at Tigerstar "-sometimes he still is. But he's gotten better. And if Snowpaw can do it, Tawnypaw definitely can. Her father is the Clan leader!"

Tigerstar nodded in understandment. "I get that. But it's been a moon, Mousefur. I'm just worried that she was supposed to be a medicine cat, like Goldenflower said. Like, what if it was really supposed to be her and not Cinderpelt? After all, Cinderpelt was supposed to be a warrior."

Mousefur shrugged. "And that could be true. But you've got to give her time to find herself. Look," she added, looking straight into his eyes with a stern glare, "I know your kits aren't your top priority right now. And I get that - with ShadowClan, the dogs, a new leader - everything's crazy. But now that you're noticing them, you're freaking out."

Tigerstar nodded along with her words. She was making sense. "You check on apprentice's training, right?"  
Tigerstar nodded. "Every quarter moon," he replied. He flicked an ear at Snowpaw, who was lounging outside the apprentice den. "You know that."

Mousefur blinked slowly. "I know. But would it make you feel better if you did a surprise check?"

Tigerstar leaned back. "Are you suggesting what I think you are?"

"I know you don't trust Sandstorm," she growled. "Why you chose her to mentor Tawnypaw is beyond me. You know she used to be friends with Firestar."  
Tigerstar blinked. "I wanted to give her a second chance," he explained. "She's the best hunter in ThunderClan. And she, unlike _some_ cats," he coughed, and Ravenflight's image flashed in his mind, "has shown nothing but loyalty these past moons."

"Understandable," Mousefur decided, shrugging. "But I think you'd feel better if you watched without them knowing. Just to see if maybe she's better when she's training or something."  
"That… sounds reasonable," he eventually gave in. Mousefur beamed.

"They're in the training hollow," she meowed, jerking her head at the camp walls. Tigerstar bid her goodbye before bounding away, leaping through the forest to the sandy hollow.

Once he neared it, he slowed to a creep until he could hear Brackenfur's voice shouting a string of commands, with frustrated huffs and thumps following. Tigerstar got so close that he could peer past a thin wall of brambles and see Brackenfur circling Bramblepaw, yelling out techniques as Bramblepaw hopped into position for each one. Tigerstar stifled a purr at how much determination shown in Bramblepaw's amber eyes, but shook it away. _Where are Sandstorm and Tawnypaw?_

As if an omen from StarClan, Tigerstar's head turned and saw footprints in the early autumn mud, next to a pair of tiny, delicate ones. He stifled a gasp, thanked StarClan, and began to follow the tracks.

As he wandered farther and farther away from camp, he began to grow worried. He was nearby the place where Cloudpaw had been attacked, and where he had found Brightheart and Swiftclaw, and more importantly, the dogs. He was getting nearer to the ShadowClan border, and was worried he would cross it when-

"Tigerstar?"

Tigerstar's head jerked up, and he was face to face with one of the pawprint's owners.

"Tawnypaw?" he asked. "What are you doing so far out? Don't you know there are dogs nearby?" As he spoke, he felt his pelt ruffle as he pressed up against her protectively. Tawnypaw broke away from his embrace, much to his dismay. She smelt of ShadowClan, but then again, she was dangerously close to the border.

"Sandstorm told me to wait here," she explained, gesturing at a makeshift nest under an ancient fallen tree. Inside was a small and pitiful mossball. She was bored out of her mind. Tigerstar froze.

"And where is Sandstorm?" he growled, eyes narrowing to slits. Tawnypaw's eyes rounded. She did not speak.

"She obviously told you," he growled, feeling the fur rise along his spine. "And if you won't tell me, I can just follow her footprints."

Tawnypaw shrunk back as she saw the bigger pawprints. Tigerstar jerked his head forward. "You're coming with me. Let's go."  
Tawnypaw took a step back. Tigerstar let out a deep sigh.

"You're not in trouble," he meowed gently, resting his tail along her spine. "This is not your fault at all."

"I know," Tawnypaw said simply as they began to walk along the border, following Sandstorm's pawprints. But by Tawnypaw's voice, it sounded as if she too was at fault.

Soon enough, Tigerstar began to hear voices. He heard the tinkling laugh of Sandstorm and immediately dropped into a crouch, signaling Tawnypaw to mirror him. To his relief, she obeyed, and they crept forward until two cats came into view.

Sandtsorm was on her side of the border. She was sitting quite calmly, licking a paw and drawing it over her ear as the second cat began to speak. Tigerstar shifted to the left a little to see who she was speaking to, and the moment he laid eyes on the flame-colored fur, he leapt to his paws and stormed forward.

"Sandstorm!" he roared, bounding between her and Firestar. His back was to Sandstorm, so her reaction was beyond him, but Firestar's eyes merely widened. He turned to the she-cat, lip curled. She leaned back, eyes huge and round.

"Tigerstar," she addressed evenly. "Why are you out here?"  
" _Why am I out_ \- I came to check up on your apprentice," he spat, forcing himself to stay as calm as possible. "Who you, by the way, have not been training."

"Tigerstar, please," Tawnypaw begged, leaning up against Sandstorm. "She's a great mentor, I promise. It was only today."

"Only today?" Tigerstar snarled, jerking his head at Sandstorm's belly. "Has she been expecting _kits_ since only today?"

Tawnypaw reeled back. Sandstorm covered her flank with her front paws and gasped.

"You knew," she spat.

"We all knew!" Tigerstar cried. "At least, most of us suspected it. Who are you going to say the father is? Certainly not him," he added, flicking his tail at Firestar. Sandstorm opened her mouth, but Tigerstar cut her off.

"You know what? I don't care," he growled. "You will be punished, believe me. You might not have an apprentice by tomorrow morning." Then he faced Firestar, ignoring Tawnypaw's pleas.

"And what about you?" he growled. "What's your precious Clan going to think when you announce you are still mates with a ThunderClan cat?"

"They're not going to think that, because no one's going to tell them," Firestar replied, hesitating for only a heartbeat. Tigerstar was briefly astounded at how calm the ShadowClan leader was. "You can tell the whole Gathering, if you want. But ShadowClan won't believe _you_ over _me_."

"Then let it be," Tigerstar growled. "Those kits belong to their mother's Clan, though. Now if you don't mind, _leave._ " To Tigerstar's surprise, Firestar actually narrowed his eyes and took a few steps back. He glanced at Tawnypaw as Firestar began to leave.

"I'm glad I checked up on you when I did," he muttered. "Mousefur was right to get me to investigate."  
"Curiosity killed the cat," Firestar hollered. He slid under a murky-looking thicket, but his voice was still clear. Only his emerald eyes could be seen, glowing strangely.

"But satisfaction brought it back," Tigerstar replied coldly. He gave Firestar a look of mock surprise. "And look at that. I'm satisfied."  
Firestar's eyes narrowed, and then he was gone completely. Tigerstar turned to Sandstorm, open-mouthed and really ready to let his anger out, when she interrupted him in the most serene voice she'd ever used.

"I'm not the one you need to be worried about, Tigerstar," she meowed, posture straight as she gave him and up and down look. Tigerstar bristled.

"I'm not worried," he lied. Sandstorm raised one eyebrow. She looked as if she was going to speak, but another voice broke her off. Tigerstar's ears perked as three cats burst into the clearing, huffing like they had run through the whole forest.

"Thank StarClan we found you," breathed Longtail, who stepped up to the front. His ears were flat and his eyes were wide with fear. "You gotta see this."  
"See what?" Tigerstar asked, pelt prickling as he exchanged a glance with Tawnypaw.

Longtail shook his head. "I'll explain on the way. Sandstorm, Tawnypaw, it's best if you go home."

Sandstorm nodded wordlessly and led Tawnypaw away, right as Tigerstar turned to face Longtail.

"We have to go," Longtail meowed in a low voice. " _Now_."

 **That took forever to update. Oops. I also took a jibe at the Apprentice's Quest, if anyone caught it. Hint: it has to do with medicine cats.**


	22. Chapter 22

**FeatherSunfire: I'm glad you caught it! :D**

 **Snowcrystal of thunderclan: Spelling mistake: you spelled Firestar wrong :p Nah, I'll try to work on my spelling more (to be fair, I'm the one writing the story). You're not mis-reading anything, by the way! :D**

 **Walkswithwheels: after what happens this chapter… I think she has more of an excuse? And Sandstorm… I think it's safe to say (I think I may of stated this earlier, but idk) that she's not evil. She isn't loyal, but she isn't planning to kill Tigerstar or leave ThunderClan anytime soon. Firestar thinks he can get away with anything, you're right, and this will have an impact on the ending, I think. I haven't thought in depth about the Bloodclan cats.. Firestar knew them from when he was a kittypet, so he recruited old friends, in this version of the story. And yes, I kept in mind Longtail finding the trail, so it's both canon and in this story. :). Also, (spoiler?)I do love ThunderClan, but having three medicine cats really bothered me. I think it was just to prove Needletail's "ThunderClan gets away with everything" argument, but it didn't sit well with me, I guess.**

"Where are we going?" huffed Tigerstar. Longtail raced ahead of him, Swiftclaw and Frostfur flanking him. The silver tabby leapt gracefully over a log before waiting for the others, tail-tip twitching impatiently. Tigerstar caught up, heaving for a breath and feeling embarrassingly out of shape.

"We found something you should probably see," Longtail finally replied, lowering his voice. His pawsteps grew lighter and his eyes narrowed to slits. Tigerstar's belly turned.

"We're headed to Snakerocks," Frostfur explained. Tigerstar could see the fur rise along her neck, and Swiftclaw looked uneased. Tigerstar's eyes widened.

"I know what you're talking about," he said aloud as realization struck him. Swiftclaw parted the ferns in front of them slightly, enough to reveal the sound of loud chewing and the horrible stench of breath.

"How did you find them?" Tigerstar growled, aware of his claws unsheathing against the soft soil beneath him. Longtail and Frostfur exchanged a glance.

"There was a trail of dead rabbits leading here from the Thunderpath," Longtail explained. "I followed it because these rabbits were half-eaten and just strewn about. Wasted. And great StarClan, they _reeked_!"  
"When we followed the trail, it led here," Frostfur went on. Her gaze did not leave the dogs. Tigerstar felt her fur fluff up against his own. "From the looks of it, they've basically nested here."  
"This was no accident," Tigerstar growled, voice dripping with hate. He watched through careful amber eyes as one dog - the biggest, brown and black dog with a slim physique - tossed the bone he was finished with over his shoulder. The other dogs scrambled to get to it, and when a proud head raised from the mob, bone in maw, another dog curled its lip and jumped at the winner. Dogs began fighting, not even noticing the cats.

The leader stepped back, turning its great head to check its surroundings as the other dogs wrestled quite violently. The cats all froze when the leader's gaze landed on the ferns, but to their relief, he merely saw nothing and turned back to his pack.

Swiftclaw switched his fearful gaze to Tigerstar. They had seen the same thing: the ugly scar that scored across the leader's muzzle from the fight a moon prior. "What do you mean?" he asked quietly.

Tigerstar wrapped his tail around his paws and leaned back, pupils slits. "Firestar is behind this," he growled. "I have no doubt of that."  
"But you also have no proof," Frostfur pointed out. When every cat turned to look at her, she added hastily, "I don't trust him, either. But we have to take care of the dogs before we go blaming other cats."

Swiftclaw opened his mouth angrily, but Tigerstar stuffed his fluffy tail in the young warrior's mouth. "Frostfur is right," he decided firmly. "Let's go back to camp. Now that we know about their living space, we can plan something."

The other cats nodded importantly. Longtail stepped forward. For once, his narrowed eyes were wide as he approached his friend.

"Are you sure you have a plan?" he whispered. "We haven't lost anyone yet, but haven't we almost?" He look a quick breath in with a helpless glance at the dogs. "These are savages, Tigerstar. I don't know if we can fight them, to be honest. But if you think so," he added with a swift look at Frostfur and Swiftclaw, "so are we."  
"I'll be ready," Tigerstar promised, rising to his paws. Longtail didn't look assured, and he merely sat as Tigerstar began to walk back towards camp. Tigerstar looked over his shoulder and blinked gratefully at Longtail. The silver tom had shown nothing but loyalty to him since the beginning, and yet he still didn't doubt him.

"Thank you, old friend," Tigerstar meowed, and he meant it.

… …

"Cats of ThunderClan! I'd like to start this meeting now, if you don't mind."

Tigerstar waited impatiently as the chattering Clan began to gather, looking at each other with wide eyes. Frostfur was a gossip, so many of them had already heard terrible rumors by the time Tigerstar had spoken with Whitestorm about his plan and reached Highrock. Tigerstar tapped his paw on the cold boulder as the Clan had yet to listen.

"I'm starting!" he snapped finally. That drew attention to him, and now the conversing became mere murmuring.

"Ravenflight isn't here yet!" some cat hollered from the back. Tigerstar rolled his eyes. Even if his former apprentice had been lying low since Firestar's exile, he didn't exactly fit the definition of loyal.

"We're starting without him," Tigerstar decided abruptly. "He's missing out, definitely." Tigerstar cleared his throat and raised his voice. "Now, as many of you know already, Longtail's patrol has traced dead rabbits back to Snakerocks. Yes, this is where the dog-beasts that mauled Cloudpaw and could have killed Brightheart and Swiftclaw are currently inhabiting."

Gasps echoed his words. She-cats began whispering to one another, and the toms silenced them as they eagerly listened for more.

"We plan to get rid of them immediately," Tigerstar meowed, flexing his claws. "Whitestorm and I will lead a patrol of the ablest warriors to attack them tonight. If two apprentices and four warriors can scare three of them off, maybe we stand a chance."  
"What if someone dies?" came Speckletail's voice from outside the elder's den. She drew her paw protectively over Mistlepaw, who was not far from her.

"They won't," Tigerstar promised. "Only experienced warriors are going to come-" A few groans followed that - "And if they are a force we cannot defeat without complete bloodshed, we retreat."  
The younger warriors's fur spiked up angrily.

"We are not losing our dignity to dogs," Tigerstar promised. "They are not cats taking our land and our pride. They could wipe us all out if we are not careful. When night falls, I want Whitestorm, Runningwind, Mousefur, Darkstripe, Frostfur, and Dustpelt."

"That's nearly all the warriors," Cinderpelt argued from her spot outside the medicine den.

"I know," Tigerstar replied. "I'm not taking any risks. Meeting dismissed."

… …

Tigerstar could hardly handle how much his stomach was twisting. The quarter moon hung low in the sky, casting a luminescent glow over ThunderClan. The cats were gathering around the camp exit, exchanged wary glances. Tigerstar could only see the glow of their eyes, but it didn't help the rotten feeling in the pit of his belly. Goldenflower was set at the front of camp, sitting up straight as she prepared to play watchout in case the plan horribly backfired. Tigerstar prayed that it wouldn't.

Goldenflower purred as her mate approached her. "Good luck, hotshot," she purred, reaching up and licking his ear. Tigerstar sighed deeply.

"I don't know if I can do this," he whispered, sitting down next to her. The touch of her golden fur against his own reassured him in a small way. "What if cats _do_ die? What will I say then?"

"They won't if you have the right attitude," she insisted. She gazed deeply into his eyes, and there was a smile behind them. "Just remember that Tawnypaw, Bramblepaw, and I are back here, waiting for you. And you won't let us down, will you?"

"Of course not," Tigerstar promised, shifting closer to her.

"Tigerstar!" Whitestorm hollered from the bunched up group of cats. "We're ready when you are."  
"That's my signal," Tigerstar grunted, rising to his paws.

"Good luck," Goldenflower murmured, pressing her face into his neck fur. "I love you."

Tigerstar smiled. "Love you too."  
Then he left with his patrol behind him.

"So we headed out to Snakerocks?" Dustpelt asked warily. Tigerstar felt the young warrior's breath on his back.

"That's where they were earlier," he explained quietly. "If they're _not_ there, we're going to have a problem."

The cluster's five-minute walk had almost ended. The group was nearing Snakerocks, and Tigerstar swallowed back his fear. He could hear heavy snoring past the ferns, and the horrible stench was back once again. He risked a glance past the ferns and saw the leader in the dead center, his large body rising and falling with each breath.

"Okay," he murmured, turning back to the cats. "Darkstripe, take Frostfur and Whitestorm around to the other side. When you hear me yowl, jump out at them. Remember to spread out. It'll confuse them."  
To his relief, the cats nodded seriously. Darkstripe broke off to the side, Frostfur and Whitestorm at his heels. Tigerstar stepped back, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath. _This is it._

The pounding of paws broke his thoughts. He opened his eyes to see other cats doing the same, and before he could even think a shape hurled through the long grass behind him. Tigerstar's claws unsheathed and he leapt at the intruder, snarling.

The cat shrieked, unexpecting the surprise attack as it fell onto its back. Tigerstar unsheathed his claws against the cat's neck, lashing his tail.

"Ravenflight!" he spat. "What on earth are you doing here?"  
Ravenflight's eyes reflected his confusion for a brief moment, but his eyes did not meet Tigerstar's.

"What are you doing with all these cats?" he insisted, looking at each cat. Tigerstar stifled a growl.

"Where were you when we discussed this?" he accused.

"When did you find them?" Ravenflight insisted rudely. Tigerstar growled.

"When will you stop asking questions and answer mine?"

"Um, guys?" Darkstripe whispered. "I think you woke them."  
Slowly, Tigerstar and Ravenflight turned to see dozens of glowering yellow eyes, staring at them from the ferns.

Tigerstar's eyes widened, and the dogs leapt. _Raven flight, you ruined it!_ The cats were thrown completely off guard, but flung themselves at the dogs, screeching and unsheathing their claws. Tigerstar released Ravenflight and spun around, hissing at the nearest dog. It was much closer than he expected, and he felt a paw ram into his flank. Tigerstar felt his paws leave the ground as he was flung aside, rolling over twice before laying still. He was winded momentarily, and the second he blinked away the blurriness in his eyes he saw a dog pick Ravenflight from the ground and fling him up into the air.

"Help me!" Raven flight screamed loudly. Tigerstar hissed and leapt to his paws. _He's not supposed to alert the other dogs!  
_ Suddenly energized, he bolted towards the massive dog that held Ravenflight captive. The black warrior landed on his paws, eyes wider than two full moons.

"Fight!" he bellowed at his former apprentice. But Ravenflight merely watched with wide eyes. Tigerstar gritted his teeth and leapt at the dog's face. He missed, skipping a heartbeat, but luckily managed to score across its shoulder.

Meanwhile Ravenflight was still so stunned from everything happening at once that he was hardly aware that the dog was leaning over, teeth aimed to snap his back. Tiegrstar's eyes widened and he dove between the dog's curled muzzle and Ravenflight's frozen figure.

Tigerstar felt his front paws smash into the dog's muzzle. A row of shining silver teeth barely missed his ear. The dog reeled back, and Tigerstar felt relief wash over him as Ravenflight sprung back, unharmed. The dog shook his head angrily, turning to face Tigerstar and Ravenflight once more.

Tigerstar snuck a glance around him. The amount of dogs doubled the cats. A chill ran down his spine, and for once, he swallowed his pride.

"ThunderClan!" he hollered. "Retreat!"  
He earned a few bewildered looks, but he didn't see their reactions. Instead Tigerstar bolted off, hearing the cats behind him panting heavily. The dogs began to bark as they realized their prey was escaping, and soon Tigerstar could hear them pounding behind them.

"Do we have everyone?" he hollered over his shoulder as he leapt over a log. Whitestorm drew up beside him, looking exhausted.

"Everyone's alive," he managed to report between fluctuating breaths. "Longtail twisted his paws, but he's holding up."  
"Good," Tigerstar grunted. "Spread the word to the rest of the cats. We're taking the thornbush entrance into camp. They can't follow us that way."  
Whitestorm nodded importantly before falling back. Tigerstar could hear his rapid voice behind him, explaining to the other cats.

They neared camp, and to Tigerstar's relief, the dogs were too tired to take their catch too entirely seriously. They were almost completely in the distance by the time they reached the brambles.

Tigerstar slowed to a stop as he reached the thorn bushes. He took a deep breath, preparing himself to be prodded, when a shrill voice cut him off.

"Why are we going in this way?" Ravenflight piped up from the very back. Tigerstar groaned loudly.

"Do you want to get mauled?" he retorted. Ravenflight made his way up to the front. He was limping badly, and Tigerstar was impressed with how he had managed to keep up with the group.

"I kind of did," Ravenflight responded drily. Now that the moon was shining down upon the cats, Tigerstar could see Ravenflight's swollen eye and the trickle of blood than dribbled down his chin. "I just think that the dogs are basically gone now, so we can go in the normal way."  
"You are the reason this patrol failed," Tigerstar growled. A few cats murmured agreement, shooting Ravenflight hostile glares. "If you hadn't been off in your own world when we had a meeting, you would have known about this and who knows? Maybe we would have won. I'm not owing you any favors for your because your poor pelt is getting scratched."  
"But it's not…" Ravenflight trailed off as all eyes landed on him. With a sweep of relief, Tigerstar realized his Clanmates trusted his words. Ravenflight did not finish and instead stepped in front of Tigerstar, blocking the way and hastily making his way through the brambles.

"Get out of the way, you lump," Tigerstar grunted. "I can't see."

Ravenflight didn't speak, but Tigerstar could see the thin trickle of moonlight filter through the thicket and land on Ravenflight's pickled pelt. Tigerstar hissed, but the black tom did not budge.

"Move, or I'll move you myself," he threatened. Ravenflight swallowed from ahead.

"Move or we all die!" Mousefur complained from the very back. "The dogs might come after us soon."

Ravenflight slowly stepped aside, and Tigerstar let out a long exhale. Then, as he began to walk forward, he felt his front paw land in something sticky.

"Ugh!" he growled, holding up his paw. "Who's treating the thicket as dirtplace?"

To his surprise, the cats behind him merely stared with their mouths agape and eyes wide.

"Tigerstar," Darkstripe said slowly, nodding at the leader's paw. "That's not what you think it is."

Tigerstar felt his stomach twist yet again as his head turned to look at his paw. And sure enough, a thick red liquid coated his pad. Tigerstar reeled back as he realized the tang of blood and the sour scent of dog.

Tigerstar's gaze traveled downward slowly. The cats behind him had grown silent as he traced the blood to a dark and tangled part of the thicket.

It was a cat.

He pulled the body out, unable to recognize it at first from the darkness.

"Is it alive?" Dustpelt whispered, looking over Whitestorm's shoulder. Tigerstar ignored him, dragging the cat out into direct moonlight.

He froze. Ravenflight's eyes rounded. The cats behind him stiffened. At once, Tigerstar felt his heart beat faster than it had ever beaten before.

"Who is it?" Whitestorm growled. Tigerstar was unable to speak. His maw was dry as he looked down into the lifeless eyes. Then he found the words to speak, though they tasted like crowfood in his mouth.

"It was Goldenflower," he whispered. "She's dead."

 **Ouch. that hurt me to write.**

 **QOTD: favorite underrated Dark Forest cat?  
A: Silverhawk**


	23. Chapter 23

**(I didn't reply to chapter 21's reviews because they weren't showing up for whatever reason, and it made me super angry. So I apologize! Hopefully your questions were answered last chapter.)**

 **Spottedheart: woo! Glad you like her!**

 **Snowcrystal of thunderclan: yeah it is unfortunately crucial to Tigerstar's anger. :( Whyyyy Hawkfrost? Didn't he try to kill Firestar?**

 **Walkswithwheels: I'm glad you like how I portrayed Firestar. I made him almost exactly like he is in the real series, except with bad intentions. And yes, he is definitely more aware of his power; in ThunderClan in canon he was extremely obvious and could have easily manipulated Bluestar. I took his goody-goody qualities and twisted them to make him realize he had them and take advantage of them. Even Tigerstar kept some qualities: he's still fiercely loyal to his Clan - note I didn't say which Clan, *coughs* he had two *coughs*- and has some bitterness to him. Writing this actually made me have more of an appreciation for Tigerstar? Probably because he's good in this, lol. Thanks for the supportive review!**

 **WyldClaw: Yessssssssssssss! :D**

 **Scarlet Vow: I'm glad it surprised you, I was hoping for a bit of a twist there.**

Tigerstar felt his vision blur as he stumbled back to camp. He felt the cats behind him push him forward in a gloomy, respectful silence. Goldenflower was between his shoulders and Whitestorm's. She was light, but the weight of her death was heavy on Tigerstar's shoulders.

What will Tawnypaw and Bramblepaw think?  
Tigerstar swallowed back that thought as he reached camp. Oh, StarClan, they couldn't lose their mother so young, like he did.

He didn't even remember Leopardfoot. Would they remember Goldenflower, a season-cycle from now?

The cats dropped their heads as he reached the center of camp. The other cats were awake, and he could hear them rustling out of their dens.

"You're back!" came Ashpaw's thrilled voice. The speckled gray tom scurried out of his den, with only his blue eyes alight. "Did you do it? Did you win?"

For a long time, there was no reply. Tigerstar laid Goldenflower to the ground, watching with a sick feeling as she slipped from his shoulders. Ashpaw's eyes widened as she thumped to the ground.

"No, Ashpaw," Darkstripe said with a dullness in his voice. "We didn't."

"Oh, StarClan," Brightheart whispered, following Brackenfur out of the warriors' den. She exchanged a look with her brother. Tigerstar closed his eyes, knowing if he kept them open his Clanmates would see how glassy they were.

"Where did you find her?"

Tigerstar reopened his eyes at Spottedleaf's voice. The medicine cat had slid up right next to him, whiskers drooping. He shuddered, dropping his head. He did not answer her.

"Your eyes," she whispered. The concern in her voice was real as she tipped her head, leaning in towards Tigerstar. "They're red."  
"I know," Tigerstar mumbled, not moving his gaze from Goldenflower's body. Her flank was resting on his paw, and she still held warmth in her body.

Though perhaps it was the blood.

"Where are my kits?" he asked, finally forcing himself to look away from the dull golden pelt. "They can't see her when she looks like this."  
Spottedleaf's gaze softened. "They fell asleep, but with Ashpaw's big mouth, they're bound to be up soon."

Tigerstar inwardly cursed as Cinderpelt hobbled over and gasped at the body. "Stop the bleeding, clean her pelt - do something," he growled, rising to his paws and turning his back to his Clan. He felt Spottedleaf's tail land on his back comfortingly. There was a silence that fell between them, and Tigerstar relished it.  
"What did this to her?" he whispered. "Was it the dogs?"

Spottedleaf did not reply. He felt her leave for a moment, and heard shuffling, and soon, the smell of blood and death was replaced by a sweeter, softer scent. He did not look as Spottedleaf and Cinderpelt inspected the body and covered it, whispering with their heads close.

Spottedleaf returned soon, and by then, the entire Clan had known. Tawnypaw and Bramblepaw had yet to wake, and Tigerstar was grateful. "The dogs definitely got her," she explained quietly. "And that's what we're going to tell the Clan."

Tigerstar shuffled his paws. Chills ran down his spine at her words. "What more is to tell them?"  
Spottedleaf looked down at her paws, letting the wind rustle her fur. "The dogs weren't the cause of death," she revealed. Tigerstar opened his mouth, and she shushed him loudly. "There were no dogs that close to camp. No one heard her scream for help. There is a small bite wound on her neck." Spottedleaf paused and swallowed. "She was killed by a cat she knew."  
Tigerstar's mind flashed.

 _"What are you doing with all these cats?" Ravenflight had said._

 _"Why are we going in this way?" Ravenflight had complained._

 _"I just think that the dogs are basically gone now, so we can go in the normal way." Ravenflight had insisted._

Tigerstar's fur rose and his claws unsheathed.

"That piece of crowfood," he snarled.

Spottedleaf placed her paw firmly on his. "There is no proof," she insisted, with a glint in her eye. "I know you think it's Ravenflight, but-"

"Tigerstar?"

Tigerstar's head snapped to Whitestorm and Runningwind as they approached. Runningwind's head was down, and Whitestorm's tail was dragging along the ground, but the deputyship still shown in the white tom's eyes. Tigerstar nodded for them to go on.

"We have an idea," Whitestorm began slowly. "I know Goldenflower just died, but the dogs think we're completely vulnerable now. One might have followed us."

"Thanks for reassuring me," Tigerstar replied drily. Whitestorm shook his head.

"I'm just saying, I know this whole thing with Goldenflower is happening, but the dogs could take more of us at any time. After all, they got her this close to camp."  
Tigerstar swallowed and glanced at Spottedleaf, but she gave him the slowest, angriest shake of her head that he didn't comment.

"Anyway, I was thinking, since we can't kill them, we can just lure them off the gorge," Whitestorm went on. Tigerstar's ears perked, and Whitestorm couldn't help but get a little excited about his idea. "We could use the fastest cats to operate: Runningwind, Swiftclaw, and Longtail to chase them in a relay type thing until they get from Snakerocks to teh gorge. Then we can fight them, and they can fall to their deaths."

Tigerstar didn't respond. It was a good idea, from what he was listening to that wasn't drowned out from his splitting headache from Goldenflower's death.

"You only have to watch to make sure it goes smoothly," Whitestorm added helpfully. "And of course the medicine cats, in case someone gets seriously injured."

Tigerstar sighed a long, drawn-out sigh. "Tomorrow," he decided. "After the patrols have gone out. Goldenflower's ritual will be held tomorrow night. I don't want us to be too tired when her respect is due."

Whitestorm's ears perked as his idea was approved, but he dipped his head when Goldenflower's name was mentioned. "Of course," he murmured. "We will carry out this plan with her memory in mind."  
"Sounds like a plan," Tigerstar meowed simply, desperately hiding the pain in his eyes as Cinderpelt began to drag Goldenflower to a secluded spot in the corner of camp. "But we must sleep now." He cast one last bemoaning glance at Goldenflower's body. "I wouldn't want us to be tired."

 **I have to split this chapter into two again. So sorry if it seems short, the second half will be posted next, Sorry if the first half is kind of boring.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty Two/Three: Part Two**

Tigerstar struggled to fall asleep. Goldenflower was not in his embrace, and her warm pelt was not rubbed up against his.

Oh, StarClan, he missed her.

But oddly enough, when he awoke to the birds chittering at the sunrise, her voice was reverberating in his mind. She only spoke one word.

 _Go._

So he forced himself out of his bed and awoke the other cats with an unusual stiffness. He wanted to leave before Tawnypaw and Bramblepaw woke and saw their mother.

He knew it wasn't the fatherly thing to do. But he had his own misery to deal with.

Runningwind, Longtail, Swiftclaw, Whitestorm, Cinderpelt, and Spottedleaf were on the outskirts of camp before the sun had even risen. Cinderpelt's jaws were gaped in a yawn, but her blue eyes still shown. Spottedleaf was beside her, and they looked equalled silly with leaves and cobwebs draped over their backs and under their chins. Runningwind was talking quietly to Swiftclaw, who looked giddy at his first assignment as a warrior.

Whitestorm padded up to Tigerstar. His golden eyes glowed with concern when he saw the leader's drooping eyelids and poor posture.

"We can cancel this if you want," he whispered. "If you're not up for this, it's completely understandable."

Tigerstar shook his head, though his mind was screaming differently. "I'm only there to observe," he pointed out, walking past Whitestorm without looking at him. "That's a job I can handle."  
Whitestorm swallowed, looking ready to argue, but to Tigerstar's relief, he did not speak.

"I'm going to start at Snakerocks," Longtail explained as they reached the ferns. He lowered his voice as the snoring became audible. Rustling could be heard. The dogs were waking up.

"Are you sure?" Tigerstar asked doubtfully, glancing at his friend's paw. "Isn't your paw twisted from last night?"

Longtail shrugged, sitting down and curling his tail around his paws and hiding them from the rest of the group. "Nothing I can't manage, he insisted. "I have the shortest amount to run, anyway. Once I reach Swiftclaw, I can just climb the nearest tree for his turn."

"This is where I leave you, too," Whitestorm grunted, hopping into the lower branch of a pine. Tigerstar stiffened as it rattled, but to his relief, the dogs did not suddenly attack at the noise. "I'll be racing up from the trees. If one of them is down, I help them up and the plan is off."

The other cats nodded as the deputy hopped upward. Longtail bid them goodbye, and they began to rush towards the next post.

"Is here good?" Tigerstar asked as they reached a sturdy-looking oak. Swiftclaw sniffed the base before hitting a lower branch with his paw.

"It's good," he said lightly, hopping up three branches. "I'll wait here for Longtail."

Tigerstar nodded. "Be careful," Runningwind warned. "And remember, if the dogs get close, don't attack them. Just run."  
Swiftclaw nodded importantly from his spot. The cats traveled onward in silence until they reached a new, smaller tree, stinking of scent-mark.

"This is my stop," Runningwind announced, nodding at the other cats. "I'll meet up with you guys. Just hide in the bushes around the gorge."

"What about the others?" Spottedleaf asked worriedly. "Surely you won't lure the dogs off alone?"  
Runningwind shook his head as he began to scamper into the tree. "They'll catch up," he promised. Then he too bid them goodbye.

Soon the rushing of the water was audible, and the thick forest gave way to a sandy cliff. Tigerstar felt his vision spin as he reached it, and gratefully crouched down as Spottedleaf and Cinderpelt ushered him to the thicket alongside the roaring gorge.

He closed his eyes as he was finally still again. His stomach was still squirming, and he still had the gut feeling that this was the right thing.

"Hey," Spottedleaf whispered. Tigerstar felt her gentle breath tickle his ear. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm not looking forward to getting back home to explain to my kits about Goldenflower," he admitted. "I hope Willowpelt or Frostfur already told them."  
"I bet they did," Spottedleaf nodded. "Frostfur lost Lionheart when her kits were still in the nursery. Remember that?"  
Tigerstar's eyes glossed the calm clearing, knowing that not long from that moment, it would be alive with barking and hissing. His mind flashed to Lionheart's death, back when Brokenta - _star_ \- was a tyrannical and insane leader.

"It seems like so long ago," Tigerstar shifted his gaze to Cinderpelt. "Do you even remember him? Your father?"

Cinderpelt looked thoughtful for a moment but shook her head. "I was only a kit," she reminded him. "There was nothing there for me to remember." Her words left Tigerstar uneasy.

Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw were seven moons old. That wasn't too young to forget her, right?

Spottedleaf seemed to read his mind and shuffled closer to him. "They won't forget her," she promised. "I'll make sure they don't."

Tigerstar went rigid before he could process her words. In the distance, he could hear the wild pounding of paws approaching.

"They're coming!" he whispered, fur rising. As he spoke, Runningwind burst through the undergrowth, eyes as wide as two blue moons. His fur was blowing every way as he took bounds towards the edge of the cliff. The first dog - a smaller, bony-looking thing - jumped at him. Runningwind dodged to the side, and he and the dog faced each other, growling.

"Where are the others?" Cinderpelt asked, reaching her head almost out of the thicket.

"They'll come," Tigerstar insisted.

As the words escaped his lips, Runningwind leapt at the dog. The dog sidestepped as a claw reached out and score a mark across his face before baring his lips and lunging back at the cat. Runningwind ducked and rammed his side up against the dog's with full force. Tigerstar's breath caught in his throat. The dog lost its balance and tumbled over the edge, howling until it stopped a disturbingly long time before Tigerstar heard a distant splash. Runningwind swayed as he caught onto the very edge of the gorge, but Tigerstar exhaled as he realized the ThunderClan tom was unharmed.

But just as Runningwind's head raised in triumph, the other dogs appeared. Tigerstar felt his stomach drop. Two malicious-looking beasts crept towards Runningwind. They looked far more lethal than the first dog. Runningwind's ears flattened.

"Where are the others?" Cinderpelt repeated, this time in a growl.

"They might be delayed," Tigerstar growled, scanning the dogs. Spottedleaf's breath quickened beside him.

Then his doubts began to came. The dogs parted in front of Runningwind, revealing the leader, looking sleeker and deadlier than ever. Spottedleaf lunged forward, and Tigerstar thrust out his shoulder to stop her.

"He's going to die!" she pleaded, her voice hoarse with desperation.

"No, he's-" Tigerstar was interrupted as the leader lunged at Runningwind. The smaller cat tried to scurry in the other direction, but the large paws caught him and slammed him into the ground. His head was dangling off of the cliff.

Before Tigerstar could even react, Spottedleaf shot out from her hiding spot. Her leaves flew out from behind him, but Tigerstar paid no attention. He went cold, and before he knew it, he was following her.

"Spottedleaf!" he howled, paws aching from lack of sleep. The medicine cat was haring straight towards the alpha dog and Runningwind. "Stop!"  
Spottedleaf either didn't hear him or ignored him. Her paws rammed into the leader, and with a triumphant yowl, her claws unsheathed into his flank. The leader's head spun around and his jaws lunged towards the medicine cat's throat.

The dog wrapped its teeth around Spottedleaf's neck and bit down. A snap echoed through the forest, and Spottedleaf yowled out in pain.

Cinderpelt screamed. Tigerstar froze dead in his spot.

But the leader had lost his grip along the edge of the cliff. Tigerstar watched, almost as if it was happening slowly: the dog released Spottedleaf as gravity weighed him down to the rapids, with Spottedleaf falling with him.

Tigerstar's stomach dropped as she disappeared from the edge.

Tigerstar tore his gaze away from them and broke into sprint. He brushed past Runningwind, who was watching with wide eyes, and past Whitestorm, who had just appeared with Longtail and Swiftclaw behind him.

And before he could doubt himself, Tigerstar jumped.

He ignored Longtail's warning cry. He felt himself plummet down, and the waves became realer. The leader was already going downstream, paddling wildly to no avail. Spottedleaf's head bobbed above the water for just a second before Tigerstar felt himself hit the waves.

Water trapped his nose and his lungs screamed as he opened his eyes, seeing nothing but a green abyss. He saw tortoiseshell paws treading water weakly not far ahead, and with all of his effort, he propelled his legs forward.

Tigerstar's head jerked above water, and he gasped for air before he clamped down onto Spottedleaf's scruff. The she-cat had grown eerily still, but he felt her heartbeat against his own as he spotted shore, bobbing in and out of view.

Just as Tigerstar's legs were beginning to strain, he felt a thick, gooey sand begin to form beneath his paws. Then he was treading little, before he could waddle out of the water, dragging Spottedleaf alongside him. The minute he was away from the water, he collapsed. Spottedleaf's flank was against his, breathing in shallow breaths. He turned to her, suddenly concerned.

"Spottedleaf," he whispered. No response.

"Spot." This time he prodded her belly, and water dribbled from her mouth. Then her eyes fluttered open, and Tigerstar let out a long exhale.

"Runningwind," she croaked, raising her head feebly. "Is he okay?"  
"Runningwind is fine," Tigerstar replied honestly, feeling relief rush through him. "You killed the alpha, Spottedleaf. That was stupid, you know, going straight at him. You could have…" Tigerstar trailed off as her eyes slowly began to close. "... and… you're not answering me."

Spottedleaf laughed a single huff, and it sounded forced. "Tigerstar, did you love Goldenflower?"

The question caught Tigerstar off-guard. "Of course I did," he meowed truthfully. Spottedleaf grinned, though she kept her eyes closed.

"Good," she whispered. "I didn't want to set you up for nothing."  
Tigerstar leaned down to her, licking the sand from her cheek. Her jerked back when he saw the oddness of her neck. "Are you alright?" he asked, feeling his belly twist. Spottedleaf opened one eye. Her smirk stayed, but it wasn't real.

"There are green eyes watching us, Tigerstar," she whispered ignoring his question, opening her other eye and leaning towards him. Pain seemed to strike her with every movement. "I saw them in the waves. These are Firestar's dogs."

"I know," Tigerstar whispered, gently laying her head back down. _She had a vision._ "Lay down. Cinderpelt will be here soon." Spottedleaf chuckled again.

"I don't think there's time for that," she meowed, rolling over onto her belly with the effort she had left. "You know, I was always a little sad when I remembered you weren't my real older brother," she rasped. "I wish you were. ThunderClan is lucky to have you."

Tigerstar swallowed. "I'm glad I have you too. You're the best friend and little sister I could ask for." He broke off in what could have been a sob, but he covered it with a quick cough.

Spottedleaf grinned. Her eyes were slowly closing. "If you need tansy for that, you know where to find it," she murmured.

Tigerstar froze. Her flank had stopped moving, and for a moment, so had his heart.

"Spot?" he whispered, prodding her head with his paw. Her head shifted to the side. It did not go back.

His ears flattened in panic. "Cinderpelt must be almost here with the others!" he meowed quickly. "We've won, Spottedleaf! Come on!"  
He shoved his nose under her shoulder, but she only rolled away limply. Tigerstar jerked back, padding back from her with wide eyes.

From the bushes that lined the river, he caught emerald eyes glaring at him for only a moment. Then they were gone. Tigerstar flexed his claws and forced himself to look away from the dead body of his best friend.

 _You want a battle, kittypet?  
I'll give you war._

 **Well, what's a story without a dramatic death? Sorry, I couldn't help myself, even if it was cliche. I liked Spottedleaf in this story, and I thought she deserved an awesome death.** **Also, 99 reviews! No way! Thank you guys so much!**


	25. Chapter 25

**FeatherSunfire: ;)**

 **Goldskies5: yes (?)**

 **walkswithwheels: I have to say, you give me a lot of credit for deep-thinking this story out. To be honest, I just try to keep them true to themselves, while also... not, if that makes sense.**

 **Scarlet Vow: ah yes, her death was an important aspect of the story. The whole point of killing them off all leads up to Tigerstar's climate hatred for Firestar (and his allies, since we find out how Goldenflower dies soon...)**

Tigerstar didn't picture this day coming.

He didn't ever see himself standing over the bodies of his best friend and his mate, backs facing each other, eyes closed.

But here he was.

Night had fallen on the day ThunderClan had won. That was how they saw it, at least. And yes, they had killed the dogs and would no longer be afraid of them. But they had lost a medicine cat. Tigerstar had lost a sister.

It was their funeral. Goldenflower smelled strongly of lavender, but her beautiful pelt had dulled, and she was cold. Spottedleaf's fur was still slightly damp, and she held the musky scent of the river. Both she-cat's eyes had been closed, fur groomed, and placed in the center of camp. Cats circled them, heads down. Tigerstar stood at their heads, with Cinderpelt and Graystripe flanking him.

"I'm so sorry," Graystripe rasped, leaning over Goldenflower's body. Tigerstar wasn't sure if the young tom was talking to him or his dead mate, but he didn't listen enough to find out.

Cinderpelt was barely holding herself together. She and Spottedleaf had had a bond closer than any other mentor and apprentice in ThunderClan. The gray she-cat was on the verge of a sob, and her eyes were a jarring red against her dusky fur.

And then, Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw. Tigerstar could hardly even look at his kits. Despite Speckletail's warnings, Tawnypaw was strewn over Goldenflower's body, sobbing bitterly. Bramblepaw was behind her, draping his tail over his sister comfortingly. But even his amber eyes were dulled and damp.

Tigerstar closed his eyes and shuddered. He stepped back from the bodies, and a few heads turned his way.

 _Spottedleaf laughed lightly and shoved Tigerclaw with her shoulder. "Nah, I kind of like having you around," she admitted. "It's like having a sibling. With Willowpelt constantly over -" Spottedleaf stopped to think, and rolled her eyes "-whichever mate she's on, and with Redtail dead, it's been a bit lonely."  
Tigerclaw grinned. "I'm glad," he meowed. "My siblings died the day we were born, so I can't say I had any siblings either." _

"Tigerstar," Whitestom said gently, looking at the leader with softness in his yellow eyes. "We're going to bury them now. Would you like to come?"  
Tigerstar shook his head wordlessly. The rest of the Clan caught on and stepped towards the bodies. Tigerstar made his way towards his den.

" _I know this is kind of untraditional, for a she-cat to ask a tom, but I've liked you for, like, a long time." Goldenflower paused and purred, and Tigerclaw felt his heart pump faster at every word she spoke. "So, I ask you, Tigerclaw, would you be my mate?"_

Tigerstar ducked inside, and relished the privacy of his den. He paused briefly to stare at Goldenflower's empty nest, abandoned now for two nights. He settled down beside it, and inhaled deeply.

It still held her scent.

" _And this is safe?" Tigerclaw pondered aloud. Spottedleaf rolled her eyes in a friendly manner._

" _Of course not," she replied sarcastically. "I come here every quarter moon, die, and come right back."_

 _Tigerclaw let out a low whistle. "What a way to spend the evening."_

For a few, long heartbeats, Tigerstar felt nothing. It shocked him that he wasn't immediately overwhelmed with feelings. They weren't dead, no. They just weren't with him. They'd be back, both of them.

" _You're… you're going to have kits?" he whispered in excitement. Goldenflower closed her eyes and purred._

" _Yes, Tigerclaw," she meowed gently. "They're due next moon. You're going to be a great father."_

He collapsed in defeat. So much had happened to him in just the past day. He shifted around in his den, trying to find comfort. But it felt as if it were made of thorns, finding every part on his body to impale. _  
_" _Are you ready?" Spottedleaf asked gently as they neared the camp's gorse barrier. Her eyes were soft, like she was genuinely worried he wasn't. Tigerstar purred._

" _More than you can imagine," he promised._

Then something slid out from underneath his nest.

Tigerstar's breath stopped for a moment.

It was a golden flower.

A tansy flower.

" _It went fine," she insisted. A pause passed between them, and Goldenflower glanced up at the deputy with wide yellow eyes. Then she was all for the kits; her eyes never flickered from them._

And finally, the emotions came. Tigerstar felt his body shudder as he realized neither of them would be there for him: Goldenflower's warm comfort would not reassure him any more; Spottedleaf's subtle wisdom would no longer shine in her eyes.

 _The medicine cat had slid up right next to him, whiskers drooping. He shuddered, dropping his head. He did not answer her._

" _Your eyes," she whispered. The concern in her voice was real as she tipped her head, leaning in towards Tigerstar. "They're red."  
_ " _I know," Tigerstar mumbled._

Tigerstar flipped away from Goldenflower's nest, twirling the tansy flower in his paws absently. He squeezed his eyes shut with the painful reminder that he would have to face the rest of his Clan at some point. But he wasn't sure if he could do that. How pathetic did he look, curled up in his den, glassy-eyed, holding a flower that meant so much to him close to his chest.

They couldn't see him like this, missing the cats he loved most.

" _I don't know if I can do this," he whispered, sitting down next to her. The touch of her golden fur against his own reassured him in a small way. "What if cats do die? What will I say then?"_

" _They won't if you have the right attitude," she insisted. She gazed deeply into his eyes, and there was a smile behind them. "Just remember that Tawnypaw, Bramblepaw, and I are back here, waiting for you. And you won't let us down, will you?"_

Tigerstar swallowed.

He had done just that.

He had let them down.

* * *

A few days had passed.

Tigerstar had recovered. He had to - for the sake of his Clan, he had to fight his depressive state. He had recovered, but he still felt a numbness trap his heart. Every little thing seemed to remind him of Spottedleaf or Goldenflower.

The Clan seemed to notice, and heavily celebrated every happy event that came their way. They congratulated Tigerstar for defeating the dogs each time he passed, Tawnypaw and Bramblepaw had received heavy praise on their training and it was almost always reported to Tigerstar.

On that note, Sandstorm had given up training Tawnypaw only two days before giving birth. Tigerstar had to give her credit; she had covered it up well and stubbornly refused to stop training until it was no longer possible. She had given birth to two healthy she-kits, and though she kept the father a secret, Tigerstar and Tawnypaw (and every cat that wasn't stupid) knew the truth. Ravenflight had gotten closer to the queen, possibly in an attempt to distract the Clan and make them assume he was the father, but Tigerstar wondered how oblivious they would be to a bright ginger kit. Squirrelkit looked hauntingly like her father, and Leafkit took more after Sandstorm. Tigerstar wondered if perhaps Leafkit had been named after Spottedleaf, being born soon after her death.

And now, finally, Ashpaw, Fernpaw, and even Cloudpaw had passed their assessments. Ashpaw and Fernpaw had become Ashfur and Ferncloud, and now Cloudpaw stepped forward, blue eye shining. Tigerstar was proud of all of them, though he wished he could express it better through his grief. As he watched Ashfur and Ferncloud await their foster brother's new name, with no mother to groom or congratulate them, he felt a pang of a reminder that Tawnypaw and Bramblepaw would have no mother at their ceremony either.

Tigerstar took a deep breath as Cloudpaw stood in front of him.

"Cloudpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"  
"I do." Cloudpaw's chin rose, and Tigerstar saw the Clan smile fondly. The white apprentice had grown on them, especially after he was no longer ashamed of his scars. Ashfur and Ferncloud had even put off their ceremonies for a few days so that they would all become warriors at the same time.

Tigerstar smiled. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your new name. Cloudpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Cloudtail. StarClan honors your bravery and independence. We welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."  
Tigerstar leaned forward to rest his muzzle on Cloudtail's head, and underneath him, he felt the new warrior exhale in relief. It was a bittersweet moment for the whole Clan. Then Cloudtail stepped back, head and tail high, and the Clan began to chant.

"Ashfur! Ferncloud! Cloudtail! Ashfur! Ferncloud! Cloudtail!"

Cloudtail hopped down beside his siblings, single eye twinkling happily.

"I love your name!" Ferncloud purred, rubbing her cheek against Cloudtail's.

"I'm so happy I didn't get named Cloudyeye or something crazy like that," Cloudtail rambled, letting out all his breath in one giant, excited exhale.

"Tigerstar would never do that," Ashfur pointed out. Tigerstar smirked from his place on the Highrock. "Image if he named you Noeye or Lostface!"  
Cloudtail smacked Ashfur with his paw, just as Brightheart made a beeline to congratulate Cloudtail. She pushed her head under his chin, purring fiercely. Cloudtail was obviously enjoying her presence, as well. Tigerstar wondered how long it would be until they had kits.

"Ah, young love."

Tigerstar was startled by Whitestorm, who had suddenly appeared beside him, overlooking the Clan. The deputy curled his tongue in a yawn before neatly sitting down next to Tigerstar. Tigerstar cocked his head.

"And you've had that, I assume?" He teased. Whitestorm huffed playfully.

"Two of those new warriors are _my_ kits," he pointed out. Tigerstar raised one eyebrow.

"And you and Brindleface were so madly in love before she died, right?" Tigerstar meowed lightly.

Whitestorm sniffed. "Obviously."

Tigerstar's eyes twinkled. "Is that why you had kits with Willowpelt?"  
Whitestorm's eyes rounded. "Hasn't everyone had kits with Willowpelt?" he muttered under his breath. Tigerstar laughed. "Honestly, Tigerstar. I had two mates before you had one, old cat."  
"I am not older than you."

"You would know." Whitestorm's voice was dripping with sarcasm.  
Tigerstar shook his head, smiling at his memories with Whitestorm in the nursery. Lionheart and Goldenflower had been a little older than them, but the four of them had been inseparable as kits. "I don't think we even _do_ know who's older. My mother died days after I was born, your mother died before you were apprenticed, and now Lionheart and Goldenflower aren't alive to prove one of us right."

"I can feel myself getting older," Whitestorm commented, stretching his front paws out. "I still vaguely remember your father leaving, and now three leaders later, here you are."  
"I don't like to talk about my father," Tigerstar grumbled, shuffling his paws. "At least you had Thistleclaw to raise you. Wise old cat. I was lucky to have him as my mentor."  
Whitestorm gave his friend a sidelong glance. "He was lucky to have you, too," he purred. "You know, he almost became deputy, but Bluestar-"  
"Tigerstar! Tigerstar!" Tigerstar's smile disappeared as he saw Bramblepaw clamering up the Highrock, amber eyes wide.

"What's wrong, son?" Tigerstar asked, exchanging a glance with Whitestorm. Bramblepaw was out of breath, and he paused to catch it before talking.

"Have you seen Tawnypaw? I can't find her anywhere!" He wailed, ears flattened. He rushed down the Highrock, and Tigerstar followed him worriedly.

"Slow down," he commanded sternly. "She may have just gone out with Dustpelt. He's her new mentor, remember?"  
Bramblepaw shook his head furiously. "Dustpelt and Brackenfur can't find her either. All she's talked about since Goldenflower died is how unhappy she is without her. Come on, we have to-"

"We found her scent." Tigerstar's head shot up, relieved as Brackenfur emerged into camp, Dustpelt on his tail.

"Well?" Bramblepaw exclaimed, rushing over to his mentor. "Did you find her?"  
Dustpelt looked to Tigerstar, expression grim.

"I see Bramblepaw told you about Tawnypaw," he meowed. Then he sighed a deep, long sigh. "We tracked her down to the ShadowClan border. We lost it after that, but if we crossed the border, it could be taken the wrong way. Darkstripe, Longtail, and Mousefur are out there now looking."  
"Then take another patrol and wait at the border," Tigerstar growled. "Why on _earth_ would she be in ShadowClan?"

But he knew. She was unhappy already, and with her mother's death and Sandstorm's coaxing, perhaps she had finally let herself go.

But just as Brackenfur began to nod, the other patrol burst into camp behind them. Darkstripe was in front, and something was swinging from his jaws. Tigerstar saw a tortoiseshell blur clashed against his dark pelt, but Darkstripe was gone in an instant. Behind him came Longtail, eyes wide, and Mousefur's voice was muffled behind the bracken.

Bramblepaw's ears flipped up. "Did you find her?" he asked eagerly.

"No," Mousefur growled, shoving a fourth cat through the brambles. Tigerstar recognized Ravenflight's thin frame as he was shoved onto the ground face-first. The black tom curled his lip as all heads turned to face him, but he did not return to his paws.

" _This_ cat," Mousefur growled as Darkstripe pelted towards Cinderpelt's den, "was spotted near ShadowClan's border. We assume he was taking Tawnypaw to ShadowClan, and-"  
"You have no proof," Ravenflight hissed, shakily rising to his paws.

Mousefur's lip curled. "We have proof of one thing," she spat. Then she raised her voice as Cinderpelt scurried out of her den, eyes wide. "Cats of ThunderClan! Ravenflight has attempted to murder a kit!"

 **Little bit of Whitestorm since he hasn't been in this story a whole lot! Just dude friends being dude friends. I think there are only four chapters left in this story after this one! Of course, one is an epilogue and some might get split up depending on length, but it's nearing the end! :')**


	26. Chapter 26

**petitprincess: ahh I LOVE it when people point out my jabs at the real series! So subtle and fun! I was kind of worried about writing that chapter, with him breaking down a bit and trying to keep him in character, but it came down to this: he lost the two closest cats to him within a day. I think it would be weird if he just shook it off. He's no Bluestar or Scourge - but he does have a true, real reason to want to kill Firestar. And on the topic of Scourge, I think it's safe to stay he will not become major. Since he was not attacked as a kit (By Tigerpaw), he doesn't know what he's getting into with this ShadowClan business. And I will update soon with these last couple chapters! :D**

 **Snowcrystal of thunderclan: It's over… until the sequel! :D**

 **Walkswithwheels: I'm glad people seemed to enjoy how I portrayed his grief. Kind of weird, writing Tigerstar like that… We will find out all about Tawnypaw, Sorrelkit, Ravenflight, and a special someone else this chapter, so read on!**  
 **WyldClaw: yay Whitestorm!**

 **Spottedheart: yay Spottedleaf, too! :) And yes, Firestar deserves what's coming for him.**

 **Wildstar93: thanks :) weirdly enough, Firestar is one of my favorite characters also. It's kind of strange writing him like this.**

 **GodMaster: WOW thank you! :o I don't think Tigerstar knew exactly when his sisters/mother died, but he knows he was too young to remember. (Ok, i admit, i honestly didn't remember when they died) thank you for the very kind review!**

Mousefur's tail lashed as a silence swept through the Clan. A circle had formed around Ravenflight with mostly the toms, while the queens were huddled in a tight pack around Cinderpelt and talking in high-pitched voices.

"What's going on?" Tigerstar growled, stepping into the center of the circle and glaring at Mousefur. Ravenflight saw the leader and tried to jump to his paws, but Longtail's paw shot out from the crown and with a swift leap, he pinned him back down. He exchanged a steady glance with the startled Tigerstar.

"We were looking for Tawnypaw," the silver tabby explained darkly. "We were at the ShadowClan border, following her scent. And lo and behold, look who we found snooping around the border."  
"I was looking for her too!" Ravenflight argued, struggling under Longtail's grip.

"No you weren't," Darkstripe growled quietly. "You were feeding Sorrelkit deathberries."

Tigerstar's mind flashed back to the day of Cinderpelt's accident.

" _They're called deathberries. I assume you know what they do from the name,"_ Spottedleaf had said. Tigerstar shivered as he remembered the fear spiking through him as the red berry had rolled from his paw. He looked down at Ravenflight with a hostile glare.

"You tried to kill a kit?" he spat. Ravenflight's amber eyes rounded in sudden fear, like he hadn't expected the rest of the Clan to find out.

Then Frostfur's voice rang out. "Why?" she gasped. She echoed everyone else's thought, and cats exchanged bewildered looks with each other. Then they were all staring at Ravenflight, waiting.

No answer.

"You're not talking?" Mousefur snarled, ears flat against her head. "Fine. I will."  
The dusky she-cat took a deep breath, and Tigerstar was unnerved by the amount of hatred in her voice.

"Ravenflight was awfully close to Tawnypaw's scent when we found him and Sorrelkit," she growled. "We assume, based on his relationship with Firestar, that he escorted Tawnypaw to ShadowClan. Sorrelkit presumably followed him, saw what was happening, and he decided poisoning her was the way out. "

Gasps rang out across the circle. Tigerstar's head jerked back in surprise.

" _Escorted_ her to ShadowClan?" Runningwind snorted, kinking his tail over his back. "Don't you mean _forced_?"

Mousefur shrugged. "I presume."

Tigerstar looked down at Ravenflight. He had never felt this much hatred boil up in him, not for many moons. The black tom looked at him and narrowed his eyes.

"Why did you take my daughter?" he snapped. "And why did you try to kill a kit?"

"If this fat cat get off of me, maybe I'll be able to talk," Ravenflight wheezed. Longtail huffed, but rolled away from Ravenflight wordlessly.

Slowly, the black tom rose to his paws. For a cat facing his whole Clan, he met Tigerstar's gaze steadily. "First of all, Tawnypaw was not forced to go anywhere," he growled, lashing his head around as if to dare any cat to argue. Then he was facing Tigerstar again, and looked him dead in the eye. "This was Sandstorm's fault. While she was busy not training her and meeting Firestar-"  
More gasps. Ravenflight rolled his eyes dramatically. Tigerstar had never seen him this angry and alive. "Oh, _please_ , don't act surprised," he snapped. "We all know what Leafkit and Squirrelkit _really_ are." A silence greeted his words, and a small smirk fit his mouth before he continued. "Anyway, Tawnypaw was bored. She began meeting this cute little apprentice named Rowanpaw, because, according to her mentor, all this was perfectly fine. Before you know it, a romance was born."  
Ravenflight's eyelids flickered in mock sappiness. Tigerstar growled, but it caught in his throat.

Rowanpaw.

He knew that name.

Then it clicked. _The tom I told not to fight me._

 _The tom I hoped my kits would be like._

"She _begged_ me to leave," Ravenflight snarled, leaning in close to Tigerstar's face. Tigerstar leered back, narrowing his eyes and wondering how much of Ravenflight's story was true. "I knew if anyone saw me take her to ShadowClan territory - since Sandstorm couldn't - I'd risk being wrongly accused, just like now."

"So you poisoned _Sorrelkit_?" Mousefur asked drily.

"She saw me!" Ravenflight snapped, jerking his head around to glare at the brown she-cat. "She thought that I was exiling Tawnypaw or some stupid thing like that and started asking all these questions. I couldn't let her tell the Clan that! Not after what I had to do to Gold-"

And suddenly Ravenflight paused with an eerie air about him. Tigerstar felt a certain numbness reach his paws at Ravenflight's words.

"What did you say?" he meowed slowly, feeling every hair rise along his back. Ravenflight faced him, suddenly cowering back.

"I didn't say anything," Ravenflight replied, though it sounded more like a mumble.

"Oh my StarClan," Brightheart breathed, appearing at the front of the crowd with wide blue eyes. "You were saying Goldenflower!"  
ThunderClan began to mutter in confusion and anger before Tigerstar's hiss broke them off.

"Spottedleaf told me a cat had killed her, not the dogs," he growled, unsheathing his claws. "And now it all makes sense."  
Ravenflight swallowed. "She started asking me about Tawnypaw and how her training was coming. She was getting onto me."

"You weak, pathetic cat," Tigerstar snarled. "You've lied for so long, and now suddenly your spewing confessions about attempting to kill a kit, allying with an enemy Clan, and…" Tigerstar paused to swallow back the lump in his throat. "...and murdering my mate."

"Get out."  
At first, Tigerstar thought he himself had spoken. Then he raised his head and saw Whitestorm shove past Brightheart and come nose-to-nose with Ravenflight.

Ravenflight's head rose. "Excuse me?"

"Get out." The deputy didn't even hesitate. "You allied with the cats that cost us a leader. A deputy. A medicine cat. Two queens. An apprentice. And now a kit?" Whitetsomr's lip curled, like he was disgusted. "You have no place in ThunderClan. We practice honor and truth here, and you've shown nothing but disrespect. Now leave, and do us all a favor and never come back."  
For a moment, Ravenflight's lip only curled in anger. Then he turned and began to walk out in a silent, one-cat parade as his tail dragged in the dirt. The cats grouped together began to part into two, but one cat did not move.

"Cloudtail," Whitestorm said softly. "Get out of the way."

"No." Cloudtail's chin rose, and his single blue eye shone definantly. "I'm doing you all a favor."  
Then, before any cat could stop him, Cloudtail's paw came up, claws out, and raked across Ravenflight's cheek. The black tom stumbled back as trickle of blood appeared at the harmless wound, and cats began to meow loudly.

"Cloudtail!" Whitestorm scolded, stepping forward. "What was that?"

"That was for my eye," he growled. "And for Brindleface."

"I didn't kill your mother!" Ravenflight wailed, stumbling towards the exit to camp. Cloudtail's lip curled.

"But you support the cat that did," he snapped. Then he took a threatening step towards him, and Ravenflight tensed before he bounded out of camp.

Silence swept the Clan. Tigerstar's eyes didn't leave the barrier as it trembled and slowed to a stop. His heart had stopped.

 _He took my daughter._

 _He killed Goldenflower._

"Tigerstar." Tigerstar recognized Cinderpelt's soft voice as her tail landed on his spine. The crowd had disbanded, and a few cats had left to make sure Ravenflight was gone. "I have some good news."  
Tigerstar shifted his head to face her, ignoring the emotions that were trying to push past his face. "Please," he murmured. "Any news would be good news right now."  
Cinderpelt couldn't help a small smile. "Sorrelkit is going to make it."  
Tigerstar slowly broke into a grin. "Really? How? Deathberries-"

"I know," she interrupted with a bit of giddiness in her voice. "The only bad thing she'll have now is Willowpelt crying over her for the next four moons. I got her to throw up the deathberries before she digested them."  
"I'm so proud of you," Tigerstar purred in congratulations. "And you know Spottedleaf is, too."  
A glimmer of sadness clouded Cinderpelt's eyes, but she shook it away. "I'd be proud to be half the cat she was," she confessed wistfully.

* * *

It was the Gathering only a few days later. Tigerstar treated with the uneasy feeling that Ravenflight had killed Goldenflower, but to his surprise, it didn't really make a difference to him. She was dead, and there was no bringing her back.

ThunderClan was the last to arrive. Tigerstar glanced up at the boulder before hopping up, avoiding the hostile ShadowClan glares.

"Oh, finally," Leopardstar huffed, tucking her paws under her thin tail. "I was going to freeze to death!"

"Yes, let's begin," Tallstar rumbled. His eyes shone strangely. "Firestar, would you like to start?"

Tigerstar and Leopardstar exchanged a sour glance, with most of the RiverClan and ThudnerClan cats noticed and appreciated. The ginger leader stepped forward, looking more arrogant than usual.

 _If that's even possible,_ Tigerstar thought.

"ShadowClan has been thriving," he announced.

 _With two fresh ThunderClan cats, I'm sure you're thriving,_ he thought bitterly.

"We have actually created an allegiance with WindClan," he went on, exchanging a glance with Tallstar. "We thought it be for the best, with winter beginning to settle in."  
"Leafbare," Leopardstar corrected. She nodded at Tallstar. "And usually, when Clans make an allegiance, it's not made public."

Firestar smiled an unfriendly smile and tipped his head to the side. "I'm sorry, since when have you been leader longer than me?"

Leopardstar's half-smirk vanished and was replaced with a frown. "You've been a kittypet longer than any of the other leaders," she growled. "Surely that knocks you down a few branches."

Firestar raised his eyebrows, but it seemed more of a threat to keep talking than mere shock. " _Any_ way," he went on, "this is no regular allegiance. We have merged our Clans and created FireClan."  
Leopardstar gasped, and her eyes rounded. Sarcasm was almost dripping from her words. "Wow, what a creative name!" she remarked. Tigerstar laughed loudly.

"We're asking you to join," Tallstar meowed seriously. "Both of you."  
Silence followed his words. Tigerstar and Leopardstar's smiles slowly faded.

"You're… you're serious?" Tigerstar meowed. Firestar's crazy rules maybe he understood, but Tallstar was the oldest and wisest leader. Tallstar nodded sharply.

"This is the very final leg of the prophecy," Firestar explained. Tigerstar rolled his eyes. _One of these days, he's got to get a better excuse._ "They want us to all join forces. A new era is upon us, FireClan. We can no longer fend for ourselves, what with these wild dogs-"  
" _Your_ dogs!" Tigerstar interrupted. Firestar's shoulders straightened in surprise. "That's right! If you had given ThunderClan the chance to speak, you'd know that our medicine cat Spottedleaf died and rid the dogs of the forest while doing so. Oh, wait! You already knew that! _Because you were there to make sure your dogs tore ThunderClan to pieces_!"  
Cats began to discuss loudly. Firestar's lip curled but he did not speak.

"That's right," Tigerstar growled. "All you've done is lie to these innocent cats. I am not joining your pathetic Clan, and neither is Leopardstar."  
"She can speak for herself!" a RiverClan cat named Blackclaw snarled. Leopardstar hissed at him for silence.

"And I agree with Tigerstar," she retorted. "You say you're helping us with this so-called prophecy, when you're destroying the tradition we've held longer than you can even imagine. Why don't you do us all a favor and go back to Twolegplace, kittypet?"  
"Fine," Firestar growled. "You don't have to join now. But you will, even if I force you to. Do you dare question StarClan?"

"StarClan? No," Tigerstar snapped. "You? Always."  
"Then give me my kits."

The demand them Tigerstar off-guard. He straightened his shoulders. "Excuse me?"

Firestar's ear flicked irritably. "My kits. Squirrelkit and Leafkit. You took them."  
Tigerstar snorted. "No, you had them in a forbidden relationship with one of our cats. But I'll go easy on you since you obviously don't know the rules: the queen's Clan keeps the kits."  
Firestar stepped back, ears flat. Leopardstar's eyes rounded. "Oh, does Firestar the prophecy cat not have everything handed to him?" she meowed scornfully. "What a pity."

"Give me my kits," Firestar said steadily. "Or I will take them."  
"Sorry." Tigerstar shrugged. "You should have thought about them before you betrayed ThunderClan."

* * *

The Gathering ended quickly after that. Tigerstar left rather fast after that, only stopping to bit Leopardstar a farewell (and complement her good couple jabs at Firestar). They were almost out of the Fourtrees clearing when Graystripe appeared behind Tigerstar and cleared his throat.

"Hey Tigerstar?" he began timidly. "I'm kind of worried about this whole FireClan thing."  
"Don't be," Tigerstar growled. "It's a load of fox-dung."  
"No, I'm worried about Featherpaw and Stormpaw," Graystripe meowed in a low, serious voice. "You're close with Leopardstar. Do you think I could check on them tomorrow?"  
Tigerstar stopped walking and sighed. "It's out of my way," he warned, "but I can see what I can do. Let's try to leave at dawn tomorrow, and I'll talk to Leopardstar. Don't get your hopes up."  
Graystripe broke into purr. "Thank you," he rasped. "You don't know what this means to me."  
Tigerstar purred back, but it faltered. From across the clearing, he saw Firestar's emerald eyes fixated upon him with immense interest. Then the ShadowClan leader turned back to Tallstar as if he had seen nothing. Tigerstar's fur prickled.

 _Did he hear us?_


	27. Chapter 27

**petitprincess: I've found a way around BloodClan entirely. The story is focused around Tigerstar and Firestar, not BloodClan. The sequel(s)? will follow this story from where it leaves off, so it's basically like a giant butterfly effect with more personality changes added each story. That's the point of this story and Fanfiction in general: it changes the way things used to be! If everything was the same, well, then that's just the regular story! And for the last two things, Ravenflight does not know Barley in this story. You'll see where he goes this chapter. (But I honestly wish I had thought of Barley and Ravenflight...) And as for Tallstar, he was really just in it because (another reviewer caught this, actually) Firestar reminded him of Jake and he was so desperate to have that little bit of Jake with him again that they allied, and Firestar took complete advantage of this and manipulated him a little bit. It's explained a little later? Idk.**

 **walkswithwheels: I don't think the amount of truth Firestar is telling (about the prophecy) will actually be unveiled, and that's the beauty of it: we all know he's lying to at least some degree, but to how much will always be unclear. And yes, Ravenflight kept his skittish Ravenpaw ways... I assume part of Tawnypaw's personality was poisoned by Sandstorm's influence, so perhaps she is afraid of reaching out for fear of something Sandstorm told her? :D**

 **Spottedheart: we will find out... eventually...**

 **GodMaster1175: thank you again! And yes, I have previously stated that BloodClan will not appear :)**

 **Seeker3: yep! Hopefully the ending will make people pretty happy!**

 **This is a shorter chapter.**

Leaves crunched under Tigerstar's paws as he wove past the familiar trees of ThunderClan. Graystripe was flanking him, head down in worry.

" _Leave a few minutes after me,"_ Tigerstar had told Whitestorm. " _Take as many warriors as you can."_ Yes, he was just checking on Graystripe's kits, but with Firestar's lit-up stare at the Gathering, Tigerstar felt it was right to be cautious.

As the ThunderClan scent began to slowly fade to RiverClan, Graystripe looked at Tigerstar worriedly.

"They're going to be okay, right?" he whispered.

"Of course," Tigerstar meowed, not looking at the gray tom. "What makes you worry so much, if you don't mind me asking?"  
Graystripe sighed heavily. "Firestar's warning," he meowed somberly. "He's willing to force the other Clans to join his, no matter how many lives are lost. And I assume ThunderClan will be last - he wants up to be completely helpless when he demolishes us."

Tigerstar shifted his curious amber gaze towards Graystripe. "How well did you know Firestar?" he asked suddenly. "Before he left?"

Graystripe shrugged. "Well enough to know how crazy he was. I kind of lost myself when I knew him. But…" He trailed off, glancing up at the towering trees in awe. "... he was always a mystery. He still is. I don't know why he's doing this."  
"Some cats just have a desire for power," Tigerstar commented. "It's a natural thing. When they've got nothing to fight for besides themselves, they can be dangerous. He has no kin here except the kits he'll never know."  
"I never thought I'd worry so much about a kittypet," Graystripe mused. His breaths came out in small wisps in the crisp air. "It's not even Firestar that I'm afraid of. It's his army."

"ShadowClan cats brainwashed by some prophecy are not an army," Tigerstar shot back.

Graystripe shook his head. "The former kittypets, too. Firestar used to know them. They lived in the alleys of Twolegplace. I heard they could rip a cat from neck to tail!"  
Tigerstar shook his head. "I just don't understand one thing about Firestar."  
"What?"  
" _Why_?" Tigerstar's voice came out as a whisper. "What does he have against the Clans?"

"Nothing, really," Graystripe replied. He sat down as they reached the border and wrapped his tail around his paws. In the distance, Tigerstar could see a single RiverClan cat creeping towards them. "At first, when he was an apprentice, he just wanted to be a loyal ThunderClan cat. He kind of wanted to impress you, actually."  
Tigerstar suppressed a smirk. "And then Brokentail told him about the prophecy," he went on. Graystripe nodded.

"Once he knew about ShadowClan's prophecy, he was convinced he joined the wrong Clan, but he had sort of a devotion to ThunderClan, y'know? So he thought if he became leader of ThunderClan, he could combine the Clans. That's why he tried to kill you and Bluestar. He liked the attention he was getting from ShadowClan and ThunderClan alike."  
Tigerstar swallowed the lump in his throat. "What happened after that?"  
Graystripe shrugged, looking a little hurt. "Dunno. We broke off our friendship after that. But I assume once he was exiled, he had a change of heart about ThunderClan. Now it looks like he has ShadowClan completely in his control. He either wants to destroy the Clans or unite them under his rule, and with his newfound power, it looks like he can do both."

Tigerstar nodded thoughtfully. His ears perked as the RiverClan cat approached them. At first Tigerstar thought he was imagining it, but then he saw that the warrior was limping.

"Stonefur," he greeted coolly. "Graystripe here was wondering if-"  
"Is that the rest of your Clan?" Stoneur rasped, cutting Tigerstar off. Tigerstar turned his head to see the rest of ThunderClan, Whitestorm at the lead, catching up to them. Tigerstar inwardly cursed. _They came too soon!  
_ "Yes, but they're patrolling," he lied quickly. "They're not-"  
"We need them," Stonefur growled, leaning over the border and swaying slightly. "Come on. We need help."  
TIgerstar stared at him for a long moment before rising to his paws and flicking his tail for the rest of ThunderClan to approach. "From what?" he asked nervously.

Stonefur began to lead them back to RiverClan territory, hobbling awkwardly. They followed in confusion.

"FireClan attacked," he spat. The venom in his voice was almost palpable.

At Stonefur's words, ThunderClan began to break into more of a gallop, until they were running towards RiverClan's camp.

"RiverClan's being held captive," Stonefur explained to Tigerstar as they neared a thick set of reeds that outlined the camp. "I managed to escape. Look."  
Tigerstar flicked an ear to signal the rest of the Clan back before stalking forward, peering through the reeds. Graystripe pushed up beside him, and his jaws parted. Tigerstar stuffed his tail in the gray warrior's mouth to stop his scream.

In the center of camp, Firestar was pacing back and forth. The ginger body passed the reeds, and Tigerstar sucked in his breath. There was not much of a battle. Leopardstar was in the middle of camp, flanked by Blackfoot and Russetfur. She was crouched over, and blood dribbled from her mouth. Strewn in front of her were two bodies, and a third cat, shriveled up and on the verge of death.

The first cat Tigerstar recognized was Graypool, a cat that recently retired. Her frail body looked even smaller in the paws of death, and her fur rustled uneasily in the wind. Her daughter Mistyfoot was curled up beside her. Only the trembling rise and fall of her flank told Tigerstar she was alive. Then his gaze traveled to the final cat, dead and surrounded by the pool of his own blood. He sucked in his breath, and Graystripe bit down into Tigerstar's tail to keep back a wail.

It was Stormpaw.

Graystripe's breathing quickened, and it took all of Tigerstar's efforts to keep him quiet.

"Oh, Mistyfoot," Firestar murmured, prodding the gray she-cat with a forepaw. From his place, Tigerstar could see one drowsy blue eye flicker open.

"Are you happy?" the queen groaned, shifting her head. Blood oozed from an old wound, and Tigerstar shuddered. "My kits are going to grow up without a mother."  
Firestar looked mock taken aback. "But isn't that what you did? Grow up without your mother?"  
Mistyfoot shook her head slowly. "No, but now you've taken her from me," she croaked, nosing at Graypool's limp body. Firestar tipped his head to the side was a cruel grin.

"Oh, you didn't know," he meowed in a thick voice. "Yeah, Graypool isn't actually your mother. Sorry about that."  
Mistyfoot's lip curled. "What do you mean?"  
"Bluestar loved me. She told me everything," Firestar growled. Then he raised her head, and said in a louder voice, "She even told me that Mistyfoot and Stonefur are her kits!"

Mistyfoot froze. Beside him, Tigerstar felt Stonefur stiffen. RiverClan gasped.

"Why are you doing this?" came Leopardstar's shaking voice. Her eyes were on her fallen Clanmates Firestar shrugged and sat down, jadedly licking a paw and drawing it over his ear.

"Doing what?" he meowed, like his mind was elsewhere. Leopardstar's lip curled.

"Torturing us. Killing my Clanmates," she growled. "Look at them. An elder. An apprentice. And now a queen, about to join them. You're a coward," she went on in a snarl. "This is what you did to ThunderClan, too. You attack the weak cats, you kill them, and you think you're the strongest cat in the forest. You know nothing about morals or our laws!"  
"Well, what would I know?" Firestar replied smoothly, sitting down only a whisker in front of her face. His expression was smug, almost amused. "After all, I'm just a dumb kittypet."  
"Then go back to Twolegplace," Leopardstar spat. Then she lowered her head before shooting it up again, hitting the top of her head straight on Firestar's jaw. Firestar stumbled back in surprise, eyes wide, before he regained his posture. His eyes narrowed, and in a flash, his claws lashed out and he slashed a gash in Leopardstar's neck. She tried to reel away, but Blackfoot and Russetfur held her firmly in place between them. Blood dribbled from Leopardstar's neck and onto the ground, and her eyes rolled about in her head before they dulled, and she went limp.

"She's lost a life!" Whitestorm murmured. He looked at Stonefur, then Tigerstar. "We have to help them."  
Tigerstar nodded importantly as Leopardstar's eyes lit up again, looking shocked as she rose once again to her paws.

"How many times you gonna do that?" Leopardstar challenged, though her eyes looked dull. "You coward."  
Firestar's lip curled in a horrible grin. "As many times as it takes you to join."

Tigerstar turned to his Clan. "ThunderClan, on my signal, run into camp. Don't attack unless I say otherwise. You-" he pointed his tail at the left side of the group - "get Leopardstar out of there. Mousefur, Ashfur, get Mistyfoot away from the crowd. And the rest of you," he added, nodding at the other cats, "don't hurt Firestar, but make him know that he's outnumbered."  
They nodded solemnly, Stonefur included. Then, as Leopardstar straightened her shoulders and Firestar unsheathed his claws as he prepared to take another life, Tigerstar flicked his tail and leapt.

He thundered across the clearing. Firestar's head turned to see what was happening, but Tigerstar collided with him before he could process the moment. Tigerstar gracefully leapt away as the other ThunderClan cats tackled Firestar, until the blur of brown and gray pelts blocked out his orange one. Tigerstar leapt towards Leopardstar as Blackfoot and Russetfur locked in battle with the ThunderClan cats. He nosed her to straighten her posture, and she looked at him with wide eyes.

"Tigerstar!" she whispered. "Have you seen what he's done?"  
"I know," Tigerstar replied. "And we're going to stop that. Would you be interested in an allegiance?"  
Slowly, Leopardstar grinned.

"Silence! ThunderClan!" Tigerstar roared. "Stop the fighting!"

At once, the ThunderClan cats' ears perked at his voice. The rolled away from their opponents, still keeping their paws firmly planted on Firestar. The ShadowClan and WindClan cats alike backed off, and Tigerstar could see they had assembled into a group along the border of camp. In the front, he could see Ravenflight next to Tallstar, and Tigerstar's lip curled.

 _That pathetic piece of crowfood joined ShadowClan._

"Firestar," he growled, swinging his head around to face the ginger leader. For a cat that was basically being crushed by ThunderClan cats, he mustered a malicious grin. "What are you doing here?"  
"I'm doing what StarClan is telling me to," Firestar growled. Leopardstar rolled her eyes.

"Murdering the innocent?" she suggested drily. Firestar growled.

"Who do you think you are?" Firestar spat. Tigerstar stepped forward with Leopardstar close behind. He saw ThunderClan release FIrestar and rise to their paws, RiverClan following.

"We're IceClan," he growled. "And we're _not_ joining you."

"Then you've made a mistake."

"Tallstar," Tigerstar addressed coldly, glaring at the black and white leader as he spoke. Tallstar rose to his paws, glaring at the IceClan leaders. "How do you stand for this? Doesn't it make you sick, seeing him kill these cats?"  
Tallstar sighed a broken sigh before rising to his paws and padding over to Firestar.

"I knew someone once, very much like Firestar," he replied wearily. "I can't say I agree with what he's doing, but something tells me we mustn't doubt StarClan. If they've chosen him, then so be it."  
Firestar beamed.

"Just because you knew someone like Firestar doesn't mean you should kill my warriors," Leopardstar pointed out. Tallstar scowled.

"I knew his father," he corrected. "He's more than a kittypet. If you would give him a chance-"  
"ThunderClan _gave_ him a chance!" Tigerstar interrupted in an impatient roar. He felt his claws tearing at the grass in anger. "And what did he do? He tried to kill me and Bluestar!"  
Silence followed his words. He tipped his head to the side. "If you think Firestar has done nothing wrong, you're wrong. Lionheart. Brindleface. Thornpaw. Bluestar. Stormpaw. Graypool." Tigerstar took a trembling breath. "Goldenflower and Spottedleaf. These are the cats that died because of him. How many more are we prepared to lose because of his lies?"

Another silence. This time, Firestar broke it.

"You deserve to burn," he snarled.

"Perhaps I should tell the Clans the truth," Tigerstar went on, "about everything you did. About all your murders and lies and traitorship." Firestar's eyes widened ever so slightly, and Tigerstar grinned.

"What's wrong, kittypet?" he mocked. He looked back at IceClan, who began to realize that perhaps there was hope. "Cold feet?"

 **FireClan and IceClan puns! :D Also, originally, both Mistyfoot and Stonefur were going to die. So there's that.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Goldskies5: you'll see!  
FeatherSunFire: Yep, just like Firestar did in canon!**

 **Snowcrystal of thunderclan: true though, I loved Tallstar and Jake.**

 **petitprincess: that was the most amazing set of puns I've ever heard. You're so nICE, has anyone ever COALd you that? I'm glad it feels natural to you. And poor Tallstar, he just made a bad decision, I think. We'll have to wait and see what happens to Featherpaw :) I don't have her all planned out yet tbh. I also LOVE reviews (seriously, I get excited every single time I get one), and I love reading how people enjoyed this story, so long reviews are DEFINITELY okay! Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight will have an... ahem... interesting plot next book, I hope? And my copy/paste hasn't been working, so some chapters have actually been split up. I think I figured out how to make them longer, though!**

 **Bloodsucking Demon: :D**

 **walkswithwheels: I don't know what made me change my mind, actually. I'd kind of like to see Stonefur become leader, and I think (looking back on it) Mistyfoot was never going to die, just *almost* die. Idk. Firestar doesn't really have anything against half-Clan cats. He just killed Stormpaw because he was Graystripe's son, graypool because she was the weakest cat in RiverClan, and Mistyfoot because she was a former queen (and therefore wasn't sharp on her fighting skills, since she recently gave birth). ... And the reason IceClan was named that was because of what happened in in canon, actually! Tigerstar named TigerClan after himself, and here, FireClan is named after Firestar. In canon, Firestar names LionClan the opposite (kind of) of TigerClan, and here, Tigerstar names IceClan to prove he is the opposite of FireClan. And we're still not quite done with Featherpaw. :)**

 **hayjay5304: that's not what I was referencing when I named the Clans (see above reply) but it does make sense!**

 **I don't know if I'm honestly ready for this chapter. It's the last one, minus the epilogue. And by the way, your'e about to learn that I canNOT write battle scenes. Sorry.**

"Firestar has been tormenting the Clans for longer than some of you have even been aware, Tigerstar growled. His gaze did not leave the ginger leader, who did nothing but scowl at him.

"Tigerstar, I don't think _torment_ is correct wording," Tallstar argued in a courteous yet warning voice. "Yes, a few cats have paid the ultimate price, but-"  
"A few cats?" Tigerstar echoed, tipping his head to the side and gazing at the black and white leader intently. "You really do know nothing."  
Now all the Clans had gone silent. Tigerstar grinned, and Firestar looked slightly uncomfortable.

"It all started when ShadowClan came to our camp and begged to take him from us. Bluestar was merely being sensible by keeping Firepaw for ThunderClan. ShadowClan became violent. They killed our deputy, Lionheart, in front of the Clan. No mercy."  
Murmurs of discomfort rippled through the Clans.

"After that, Firepaw became a warrior. He thought he could rank his way up to deputy, then leader. Maybe after that, he could have both ThunderClan and ShadowClan," Tigerstar went on. Ravenflight leapt to his paws.

"That's not true!" he yowled. Tigerstar whipped around to face him, snarling.

"You'll have your turn to tell them what _you've_ done," Tigerstar growled. Then he shook his head, took a deep breath, and continued. "Anyway, he tried to set a trap for me on the Thunderpath. Many of you know our medicine cat, Cinderpelt. She went instead of me, and now she's crippled." Tigerstar rose his voice as the anxious RiverClan, WindClan, and even a few ShadowClan cats expressed their doubts. "And when Firestar failed to kill me, he set up a battle with ShadowClan. That battle killed a queen with kits, an apprentice, and Bluestar, right after she exiled him."  
"She wouldn't let me leave," Firestar growled in a low voice. Tigerstar raised one eyebrow, but it was Brightheart who spoke.

"Did Thornpaw refuse to let you leave, too?" she hissed. Her voice trembled at the reminder of her dead brother. "And Brindleface?"  
Firestar's lip curled, but he said nothing. Tigerstar gave Brightheart a nod on thanks. "He joined ShadowClan after that, as many of you know, and even sacrificed Brokentail to get his nine lives - and Brokentail went _willingly_."

"See!" a ShadowClan she-cat piped up. "If he was ready to die for the prophecy, shouldn't the other deceased cats be, too?"  
"Brokentail was insane and senile from ShadowClan's sickness," Tigerstar spat. ShadowClan hisses followed his retort, but he ignored them. "Firestar was bent on revenge for the Clan who exiled him after that. He was the one who sent the Twolegplace dogs after ThunderClan. He fed them on our territory. He sat back and watched his own former apprentice get mauled from the border."

That was a wild guess, but by the way Firestar reeled back and by the way Cloudtail's single eye widened, Tigerstar realized he wasn't too far off.

"And then… and then…" he bellowed over the yowls, "Ravenflight, one of Firestar's old friends, murdered a queen and gave her to the dogs as bait." He watched in satisfaction as some of the ShadowClan cats cast uneasy glances at Ravenflight. The ends of Tigerstar's mouth twitched as Clawface, a large brown tabby, shook his head slowly. "Now, as you all know, we recently rid ourselves and all the Clans of the dogs. We lost our medicine cat, Spottedleaf, to the dogs. Ravenflight, a friend who was supposedly working with Firestar, tried to poison a kit when she saw him taking _my daughter_ to ShadowClan." He bowed his head in a respectful silence. He saw Stormpaw's still body out of the corner of his eye, curled up next to Graypool like two withered roses. "And now he's killed an apprentice and an elder. He's wounded a queen and a deputy. This will be Firestar's legacy if you let him rule FireClan. He knows nothing of our standards and morals, things we've upheld as long as our kin have ruled the forest. He lied his way to leader, just so he can feel important. He," Tigerstar paused thoughtfully to give Firestar a good, long stare. "He's just a kittypet."  
A long, thick silence followed his words. Tallstar stepped forward, mouth slightly agape, but he said nothing and stepped back crossly.

"Now, I don't know about you all, but I will not succumb to evil," Leopardstar added smoothly, sliding up beside Tigerstar. "IceClan will not be ruled by a kittypet. Now, who's with me?"  
She stepped back, Tigerstar at her side. They exchanged a nod, and Tigerstar looked at ThunderClan imploringly. Then Dustpelt stepped forward, casting a quick glance at Firestar.

Ferncloud followed him, then Longtail, before the whole of ThunderClan was at Tigerstar's side. Someone brushed against Tigerstar's shoulders, and he looked down to see Bramblepaw standing firmly beside him. Then Blackclaw and Greenflower of RiverClan exchanged a glance before looking to Leopardstar with determination. They rose to their paws and stepped beside their leader, heads high. Even Featherpaw rose shakily from her brother's body, and with a sniffle, stood by her father. The last cats fell into place beside Leopardstar and Tigerstar, leaving a clear boundary between IceClan and FireClan.

Firestar jutted his jaw and took a step backwards as FireClan stood and sauntered up behind him, fixating their yellow glares upon IceClan. Tallstar stood beside Firestar, though his large ears were noticeablly droopier after Tigerstar's confession.

 _Firestar isn't all that great, now is he,_ Tigerstar thought with triumph.

"If there's anyone who doubts their side, speak now or forever hold your silence," Leopardstar meowed loudly. Her voice bounced around the clearing. No cat moved.

Then a WindClan she-cat stepped forward, head down, and scuttled past Firestar and onto IceClan's side. Tigerstar recognized her as Ashfoot. When all eyes turned to her, she mumbled,

"What he's doing isn't right."  
Then slowly, more cats began to follow her. First it was Tangleburr of ShadowClan, Onewhisker, Littlecloud. A few warriors sprinkled over to IceClan's side. Not many came, but it was enough to make a difference. The only cats that didn't look extremely uncomfortable were the former kittypets. They merely watched scornfully as their Clanmates left for IceClan.

Then Bramblepaw froze beside Tigerstar. Tigerstar looked down at his son, then at the FireClan crowd, and one cat stood still at the front of the crowd. His blood ran cold.

"Tawnypaw," he whispered to her, gaze softening. "You're not coming?"  
Tawnypaw's amber gaze had the slightest hint of regret, but she nudged closer to a russet tom Tigerstar knew was Rowanpaw. He closed his eyes and shuddered.

 _She's made her decision._

"Ha!" Leopardstar spat, breaking Tigerstar's thoughts. "We outnumber you."

"And we," Firestar replied smoothly, unsheathing his claws, "will outfight you."

"Firestar," Tallstar interrupted, casting a worried glance at Tigerstar, "I don't know if-"  
But before he could finish, a bright light illuminated the early morning sky. A shooting star traveled across the horizon, leaving behind a shining golden trail. Then it flickered, and it was gone, throwing the Clans back into the dawn light.

Tigerstar's eyes widened. Firestar grinned.

"Well, well," the ginger leader growled, stalking towards Tigerstar. "It seems StarClan has sent another omen for me." Without waiting for the other cats to reply, he yowled, "FireClan, fight!"

Tigerstar clenched his teeth together and began to run into battle. He met with a fierce-looking black and white kittypet, whose collar was lined with.. _Dog_ teeth?

Tigerstar shook away the thought as he met the tom mid-air. He sliced his claws down the tom's neck, but missed by a hair and only ended with a clawful of fur. He landed neatly on the ground, but the tom came crashing down on top of him. Tigerstar closed his eyes as he waited for the impact, but it never came. Instead, a burly force hit the kittypet from the side. Tigerstar shook his head as he recognized Graystripe, with Featherpaw right by his side. He watched in amazement as together, they fought the tom, matching blow-for-blow.

Tigerstar leapt away as he saw two cats doubling up on Whitestorm. He knocked a lithe gray she-cat away and he flanked Whitestorm, curling his lip at the attackers. At once, he recognized the black pelt of Ravenflight and flexed his claws.

Ravenflight looked at the she-cat, and with a nod, she leapt between Tigerstar and Whitestorm, shoving Tigerstar aside. Tigerstar stumbled away and prepared to leap back at the she-cat, but to his shock, she wasn't there.

In a moment of horror, he realized it had been a distraction. Whitestorm reared up, but it was a mistake. Ravenflight's claws raked down his belly, and Whitestorm gave a roar of pain as blood soaked his pure white fur. The deputy fell back, and Ravenflight licked his paw mockingly.

"No!" Tigerstar roared. Anger blurred his vision. He took a bound towards Ravenflight, shoving the smug gray she-cat aside, but another group of cats beat him there.

A gray tom - Ashfur, Tigerstar realized - surprised Ravenflight from behind and pinned him to the ground. Ravenflight turned, in his shock, but Ferncloud appeared beside her brother and held the black tom's head down. Featherpaw and Bramblepaw appeared at the sides, raking their claws down Ravenflight's flanks. The black tom gave a horrible screech, and his eyes bulged with pain as he struggled to fight off the four young cats.

"Tigerstar!" he screamed. "Help me!"  
Tigerstar stepped back, feeling an oddly cold sensation reach his heart. "No thanks," he replied simply, licking a paw. Ravenflight's mouth twisted from shock to anger.

"I'm your apprentice!" he shrieked as Bramblepaw split his ear. "You can't let me die!"  
"Oh, like you let Goldenflower die?" Tigerstar replied, venom dripping from his voice. Then he turned around as Ravenflight gave one final, piercing scream. Then he stopped struggling altogether.

"Whitestorm," Tigerstar whispered, nudging the fallen deputy with his paw. He winced as his paw soaked with blood the minute he touched his old friend. "Whitestorm?"

To his relief, Whitestorm stirred. His head raised, and he glanced at Tigerstar in confusion.

"Tigerstar?" he murmured. "Am I alive?"  
"Yes," Tigerstar responded grimly. "Ashfur and Ferncloud - your kits- they killed Ravenflight."  
Whitestorm gave a satisfied, forced smirk before closing his eyes and laying his head back down. Suddenly Cinderpelt broke out of the reeds, a bundle of herbs in her jaw. Tigeratar took a step back, bristling. She treated him quickly, like he was going to die any moment. But then Tigerstar saw Whitestorm's gentle, rhythmic breathing, and how the blood was beginning to clot, and realized his deputy would be okay.

" _You_!"  
Tigerstar spun around, but instead saw Bramblepaw in the middle of camp, face to face with Tawnypaw. Tawnypaw looked taken aback. "You're fighting for ShadowClan!" Bramblepaw went on accusingly. "You're a ThunderClan cat!"  
"I can be whatever I want!" Tawnypaw grunted, leaping at her brother. Bramblepaw's claws were unsheathed, and his jaws were poised at her throat. Bramblepaw's claw reached up and made contact with Tawnypaw's ear, splitting the tip of it. Tawnypaw yowled in pain. With a chilling realization, Tigerstar froze.

 _He's trying to hurt her!_

Tawnypaw leaned back down to get back at Bramblepaw, but the dark tabby merely dodged her jaws and raked his back claws down her belly. Tawnypaw shreiked and stumbled away from him, giving Bramblepaw the chance to leap to his paws. Bramblepaw lashed his tail and leapt at Tawnypaw, bellowing "traitor!"

Anger filled his amber eyes, and before Tigerstar realized it, he was rushing towards his kits to stop them. Another cat stopped him.

The new cat collided with Bramblepaw's side, knocking him over sideways. The two toms rolled in battle before the larger tom landed on top.

"Rowanpaw," Bramblepaw greeted darkly. "Get off of me. It's all your fault my sister left."  
Rowanpaw's gaze suddenly softened. "It's Rowanclaw, now. And your sister left because she was in love. Not because she hated you."  
Bramblepaw's unsheathed claws lowered.

Tigerstar turned back around to leap into battle, assuming the young cats had their situation figured out, when he found himself in the center of camp. The cats had broken away, still locked in battle, to leave an empty circle for him. At first he was confused, but then he saw Firestar break away from the battling crowd, sauntering towards him with his head high.

"Isn't it glorious?" Firestar meowed, sounding quite proud. Tigerstar was hunched over, snarling.

"What?" Tigerstar spat. "Blood? Death? Spitting on StarClan like they're crowfood? There's a lot of things you distort to be glorious."  
Firestar tipped his head to the side. "Of course not. Just you and me, Tigerstar. Look at it all. I've destroyed everything you've worked so hard for."  
"One of the many things I don't understand about you is why you're doing this," Tigerstar growled, shaking his head. "Why _are_ you doing this?"  
"Because when Bluestar and Brokenstar told me I was special, I thought it meant something," Firestar replied in a low voice. He was uncharacteristically serious. "I was teased when I first joined ThunderClan. I was told kittypets weren't welcomed - and you didn't exactly support me. When I got to be a part of something special, it made me want to live up to that."  
"And then _I_ wronged _you_ ," Tigerstar finished drily. Firestar gave him a sharp nod.

"That's right," he snarled. "You wouldn't listen to your own ancestors, when a housecat _did_. And now you're going to pay."  
At once, Firestar leapt at Tigerstar. Tigerstar dodged him, and Firestar skidded to the side, grinning wildly.

"Don't want to fight, eh?" he taunted. "Well, let me-"  
Tigerstar cut him off with a bellow. He leapt at the ginger leader with anger clouding his gaze, and in a twisted moment, he realized he made a mistake. Firestar scuttled underneath of him, raking his claws along his belly before Tigerstar hit the ground. He felt blood pool around his paws. He tried to clamber towards Firestar's smug visure, but his legs buckled, and he blacked out.

All he had left was a thought: _I let him kill me._

 _I underestimated him._

 _Oh, StarClan, why did I underestimate him?_

All he could see were stars before his eyes reopened with a gasp. Tigerstar took in a clean breath, feeling a leap of energy as he rose to his paws, blood dripping from a closed wound.

"I'll take the other eight until you join me," Firestar growled, sauntering towards Tigerstar. Tigerstar's eyes narrowed, but he felt flanks by his own before he could respond.

"And we'll take all nine of yours before you lay a paw on him." Graystripe's voice. Beside the gray tom came Darkstripe, Longtail, and even Cloudtail, whose single eye was glowering at Firestar. Firestar's tail flickered nervously, but his head stayed high.

"I thought you would be a friend, once," Graystripe went on. "I was wrong."  
Longtail looked at Tigerstar. "On your order," he meowed simply. Tigerstar looked from Firestar to his Clanmates before he stepped back and nodded coldly.

Firestar hissed as the four cats leapt at him. He put up quite the fight, Tigerstar had to admit, but the flurry of ginger paws died almost immediately. Cloudtail reached down, and a snap echoed around the forest as Firestar's neck bent the wrong way. He dropped to the ground lifelessly.

A heartbeat passed before his eyelids flickered again. Darkstripe flexed his claws, looking at Tigerstar imploringly.

"Well?" he hissed. "What do you say we end this once and for all?"  
Tigerstar did not look at his eager Clanmates. Insetad he looked at Firestar. Hatred sparked in his emerald eyes, but a hint of fear was there also. He did not fight. Tigerstar reached out a paw.

"If you leave this forest," he promise in a low voice, "you abandon FireClan. But you will leave alive."

"Are you offering me compassion?" Firestar rasped, closing one eye.

Darkstripe's head snapped up and glared at Tigerstar, but Tigerstar ignored it. He nodded seriously, and extended his paw to Firestar.

For a moment, Firestar's weak paw reached out to meet Tigerstar's. Then the claws unsheathed, and Tigerstar reeled back as they scored across his nose.

"Never," Firestar spat. "I'd rather die than live with the fact that I gave in to you."  
Tigerstar shrugged. "Okay."  
Then he stepped back, and gave a serious nod to Darkstripe, Longtail, Cloudtail, and Graystripe. They nodded, and then they leapt.

Tigerstar watched without remote as Firestar went still, then lit up again, still alight in battle.

His screaming stopped again, then came back, then stopped, then came back.

He watched as the ShadowClan leader died, and strangely, he felt nothing.

The other Clans had stopped fighting to see Firestar fight off the four cats. Blackfoot and Tallstar rushed forward to held him, but they were shoved away by the cheering IceClan cats.

"The prophecy!" a WindClan she-cat shrieked. "You're destroying it!"

"He destroyed that prophecy the minute he set paw in ThunderClan," Runningwind growled.

Runningwind's words sunk in, and even Tallstar slowly backed away from Firestar.

No was was truly, deeply fighting for him.

Then the warriors stopped back, Graystripe giving his former friend a cold last glare. To Tigerstar's shock, Firestar was still alive, though he didn't look like it.

His left eye was swollen, he could not rise to his paws, and his breathing was rattling, like he was an elder. His orange fur was crimson with his own blood. He looked so weak and vulnerable, and yet his eyes still shown with determination.

"Well?" Tigerstar growled. "Look at you now. You're on your last life. FireClan is no more."

"FireClan doesn't matter," Firestar rasped, dragging himself towards Tigerstar. Tigerstar's head jerked back. "What matters is that you're still here. You just couldn't die, like everyone else in my way. You didn't even have the courage to kill me yourself. And now there's..." Firestar paused, and with the eye that wasn't clouded, he glanced at Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw, who sat together worriedly. "... more of you."  
"You're done," Tigerstar spat, ignoring his hackles raising. "You're dying, foolish cat."  
"That's one thing you never learned about me," Firestar growled, beginning to sway back and forth.

"I'm never done."

Then his head dropped into his paws. Tigerstar prodded his flank with an extended forepaw, but the FireClan leader merely rolled onto his side. His mouth opened a little, dribbling blood onto the ground.

"He's dead," Leopardstar announced unnecessarily. Tigerstar stepped back and waited for Firestar's death to sink in, but to his shock, he felt like nothing had even happened.

FireClan stepped back. Tigerstar wondered if they would still be FireClan. IceClan was done when they were, but without Firestar to lead his Clan, there was nothing to fight for.

Cats began to assemble awkwardly back into their own individual and rightful Clans. Tigerstar knew they were staring at him, waiting for him to make an announcement or fix things from the way Firestar had left them. But in that moment, he didn't think about any of that.

Instead Tigerstar looked up at the sky, ignoring the quiet murmurs of those around him. Dawn had broken, giving way to a pink and yellow sky. Firestar was dead. He relished that thought, and let it flow through him as the glistening hue of Silverpelt disappeared.

 _I've lost so much to him_ , Tigerstar thought, watching the sun climb the sky. He took in a deep breath, the crisp breath of morning, and pushed the tangy scent of blood behind him. No longer would Firestar be there, to worry him like he had for the longest time. For a moment, his heart soared.

Goldenflower and Spottedleaf could rest easy.

Tigerstar couldn't help a grin as the sun rose in the sky. The clouds were plump and fluffy, drifting across the sky carelessly. Birds soared high above Tigerstar's heads, and they were singing.

 _Today is a new day._

 **So... that's it! I'm so sorry if it seemed rushed! D: The epilogue should hopefully be posted soon (it wraps things up quite a bit, seeing as I left it on a weird note). I'll say a proper goodbye to this story / thank you then. But as of this chapter, that was _Pure Evil: Dusk!_**


	29. Epilogue

**Shadowskies of LightingClan: yes I think there will be a sequel! I'll write something at the end of this chapter regarding that! And of course I will help you, feel free to Dm me! :)**

 **FeatherSunfire: I thought differently, but thanks!**

 **petitprincess: the ending is explained more this chapter, fear not :p mostly I just needed to get in Tigerstar's relief.**

 **walkswithwheels: yes! I felt the same way! This story was not very well planned out ahaha. They ending was just rushed to write and I actually almost deleted the chapter, but too many people had seen it by then and ah well, it was just too late. Hopefully this chapter will clear some things up? And if not, I sincerely hope that with any possible sequels I can improve upon my writing. That's part of the reason I'm on this site, actually. I always love suggestions and criticism (but, you know, _constructive_ criticism), and I especially love your reviews and the length and questions you put forward. You've really been here the whole story, so thank you :) **

**Snowcrystal of thunderclan: so much going on!**

 **Wyldclaw: :ooo**

 **Seeker: (would you kill me if I told you he was going to die originally?) .o. Idk, it didn't seem realistic that Ravenflight would kill him.**

 **Godmaster1175: I'm glad you enjoyed it!**

 **Firecat21870: aha you're catching on!**

 **Scarlet Vow: yeah, it actually only took me like two months to write? (I just kept getting excited about writing the chapters lol...) And yes, I think I am going to.**

 **Spottedheart: aww thank you!**

 **Goldskies5: :D**

 **This is short because that's just how epilogues are. Here we go!**

Tigerstar's moment of relishing Firestar's death did not last long. Leopardstar cleared her throat, and he felt her shoulder nudge his.

Tigerstar averted his gaze from the sky. Tallstar was at the front of the crowd. His gaze was locked on Firestar's body. Near him was Blackfoot, hunched over with hardly a scratch on his pelt. As Tigerstar's gaze traveled through the crowd, he realized that they did not look injured, or like they had battled at all. They looked a little winded, at the most.

As much as Tigerstar hated Firestar, he did feel a little bad that his plan had completely flopped. There was no glorious battle over FireClan and IceClan. The only cat that Tigerstar could see dead was Firestar. A clear circle was made around the flame-colored body, clearly marking the Clans' decision: no one really, truly cared about him.

Then Russetfur stepped forward, tail lashing, and Tigerstar realized the only reason the Clans were fighting in the first place.

"You killed our prophecy!" she snarled.

Ah, yes.

They cared about the prophecy.

Tigerstar opened his mouth, and felt Leopardstar bristle beside him, but surprisingly, it was Blackfoot that stepped in front of Russetfur, flicking an ear back at the IceClan leaders.

"I think it's time we realized that this cat is not a prophecy," he growled, leaning in close to the ginger she-cat. Tigerstar was briefly awed by the white tom's courage, but he was hit with the swift reminder that Blackfoot now had to lead ShadowClan - and he was going to take the popular side. Blackfoot jerked his head at Firestar's body, then turned to speak to all the Clans. "This cat was not special. He thought he was, and Brokenstar though he was, but all he was was a murderous kittypet."

Tigerstar realized he was right. Firestar had little respect - the little bit that he did have came from the weak ShadowClan cats during their sickness - because he was only a kittypet. If a stronger, more trusted warrior, Tigerstar, per say, had decided to merge the Clans, perhaps a longer and deadlier battle would have been fought.

Blackfoot's eyes met Tigerstar's, and the deputy nodded solemnly. "Tigerstar, as the new leader of _Shadow_ Clan," he meowed, glaring back at the former FireClan cats, "I'd like to declare this war between ShadowClan and ThunderClan as over. Firestar is gone. There's nothing to fight for."  
"Not even FireClan?" Tigerstar mused. He swung his head around at the cats, who looked slightly ashamed, and stalked forward to meet with the ShadowClan and WindClan cats. "So that's it? I'm actually disappointed in you. The minute your so-called leader falls, you disband?"

Blackfoot's gaze hardened. "Firestar was controlling us. We were blind, and we will grow past that."  
"Sure you will," Tigerstar growled. "Until the next time a kittypet rolls into Clan territory, that is."  
Silence. Greenflower, a RiverClan cat, coughed and stepped forward, head down. "With all due respect, Tigerstar," she meowed quietly, "they were weak and under Brokenstar's rule. Can we really blame them?"

Tigerstar shifted his gaze to her in surprise. "I suppose you're right," he meowed, though he only half-agreed. Looking back at Blackfoot, he nodded. "Fine. Your torment towards ThunderClan stops now."

"And IceClan and FireClan are no more," Tallstar rasped, raising his head from Firestar's body. He looked much stronger now, uncomfortable, even. "WindClan, come on. Let's go home."  
Slowly, the WindClan cats rose to their paws and began to trudge in a sad parade out of RiverClan territory. Ashfoot slithered out from IceClan's side, blinked warmly at Tigerstar, and took off with Onewhisker at her side. They scurried up the slope, bodies pressed into the marsh, and they were gone. Without another word, ShadowClan left too. Blackfoot's white tail-tip disappeared in the reeds, and a simultaneous exhale could be heard around RiverClan and ThunderClan.

"I think it's time we leave, too," Tigerstar murmured in Leopardstar's ear as the Clans began to chatter loudly. Leopardstar looked at him with laughter in her golden eyes.

"Really?" she remarked, whiskers twitching. "I was looking forward to ruling IceClan with you."  
Tigerstar smirked, rising to his paws. "Me too."

"Hey Tigerstar!" Tigerstar's head turned as Graystripe caught up to him, breathless. Featherpaw was flanking him. Graystripe's ear flicked at Firestar. "ShadowClan forgot to take him."  
Tigerstar snorted. "I doubt they forgot," he meowed dubiously. "But tell Swiftclaw and Ashfur to drag him back. As much as I don't want to, we bury every warrior with respect."

Graystripe nodded and turned to go get the warriors, but Tigerstar noticed with a jolt that Featherpaw was following him.

"Graystripe!" he called. Graystripe turned, eyes wide. "You'll have to say goodbye to Featherpaw. I know it was hard losing Stormpaw, so I'll give you a couple minutes to-"

"Actually, Tigerstar, I was kind of hoping she would come back with us," Graystripe blurted. Tigerstar's ears flipped up, and Graystripe shrunk back, eyes down.

"Back to ThunderClan?" Tigerstar rumbled in surprise. Graystripe nodded bashfully.

"I know it's a lot to ask, after everything I've put you through," he explained quietly. "But we've lost everyone. And I don't want to lose her again."

Tigerstar looked down at Featherpaw. The apprentice looked so much like her mother: her pelt was sleek and silver, and her silky fur rustled gently in the wind. She was pressed up against Graystripe, eyes squeezed shut.

Firestar's friendship was fake, Silverstream had died moons ago, and now, Stormpaw was gone too. Graystripe had no one left.

Tigerstar took in a deep breath.

"If Featherpaw is willing to become a ThunderClan cat, then you can ask Leopardstar," he said finally. He paused, then smiled. "It's okay with me."  
Graystripe let out a purr of joy, and without warning, he shoved his forehead under Tigerstar's chin. Tigerstar's surprise melted to being touched. Graystripe brushed past him, thrilled.

As ThunderClan began to leave as the sun climbed to horizon, Tigerstar realized how bitterly cold it had become. It fit the mood: not the worst day ever for ThunderClan, but certainly not the best. They had almost left RiverClan territory when Tigerstar felt Bramblepaw's pelt up against his own.

"Did you see me fight today?" Bramblepaw asked, though his voice lacked its usual enthusiasm. His son had gotten so much bigger, and it reminded Tigerstar of a younger, leaner version of himself. It kind of freaked him out. Tigerstar nodded eagerly, pushing the thought away.

"Of course," he purred. "You did wonderfully."  
"Except when I fought Tawnypaw," he added sourly. He looked up at his father with bemoaning eyes. "That was stupid, wasn't it?"  
"A little," Tigerstar agreed hesitantly. "But I understand. You think that she left you alone after Goldenflower died. You think that she was selfish."  
"That's not-"  
"It's completely true," Tigerstar interrupted. "I saw the betrayal in your eyes. She didn't betray ThunderClan by joining ShadowClan. She betrayed you by leaving you with nothing."

Bramblepaw hesitated before slowly nodding.

"Well let me tell you something," Tigerstar said in a murmur. "You will always have me. I understand if you don't respect your sister's decisions right now - heck, even I still don't. I miss her with every bone in my body. I would die eight times to see her back in ThunderClan. But you know what? She's still a part of me. I can't make her choices for her. She is my daughter, and no Clan is going to change that. So I will be proud whether she's catching a squirrel, a frog, a fish, or a rabbit for her assessment."  
Bramblepaw smiled as Tigerstar's words sunk in. Tigerstar was mildly impressed with his speech; perhaps Spottedleaf's wisdom had passed onto him!

"I'm happy for her and Rowanclaw," Bramblepaw whispered. Then he walked briskly ahead.

Tigerstar ducked through the entrance of camp and sat down in the clearing, close to the shallow fresh-kill pile. Whitestorm was already sending out the fittest warriors for patrol weakly from the base of Highrock, Willowpelt was letting her kits out to play in the clearing, Mitslepaw and Snowpaw were wrestling outside their den, and One-eye was babbling a story to Ferncloud as the young warrior began to remove her ticks. It was almost as if nothing had happened.

"Hey," came Cinderpelt's soft voice. Tigerstar flicked an ear in acknowledgement as she limped over at sat down beside him, blue eyes twinkling. Silverpelt was almost completely melted away in a hazy, light blue sky full of round clouds dotting the horizon.

"How are you?" Tigerstar asked. He hadn't really spoken to Cinderpelt asfter Spottedleaf's death. The young she-cat shrugged.

"I could be better. I miss Spottedleaf," she confessed quietly. Her eyes were on the sky, as if she expected Spottedleaf's spirit to float down at any moment. Her dark gray fur was fluffed up from the cold. She shook out her coat and shook her head.

"Do you think an apprentice would help you clear your mind?" Tigerstar suggested. "You know, distract you from Spottedleaf? There are plenty of kits in the nursery; I'm sure one of them is interested in becoming a medicine cat."

"I've thought of it," Cinderpelt confessed quickly. "I dunno. It feels like after Firestar's died, there's been like a weight lifted off of me, y'know?"  
Tigerstar nodded thoughtfully. An awkward silence passed between the two of them, and Tigerstar forced small talk. "So do you think there was really a prophecy?" he blurted. "Or did ShadowClan just make it all up?"  
Cinderpelt shook her head and gave a low whistle. "There was definitely a prophecy," she confirmed. "Yellowfang and Runningnose were so sure. Brokenstar literally went crazy over a kittypet. All the ShadowClan cats were desperate. But Firestar blew it way out of porportion. He needed to lead ShadowClan, and he just got so blinded by power, y'know? It really makes you think."  
Tigerstar gave her a sidelong, confused stare. "What do you mean by that?"  
"I just..." she mumbled, shifting her paws. Then Cinderpelt looked at the sky, blue eyes wide in awe. "I just think… maybe that prophecy wasn't for ShadowClan at all. _Any_ cat from _any_ Clan could have seen a shooting star and thought it was a prophecy."  
Tigerstar let out a long, low exhale. "Are you saying the fire propechy wasn't even ShadowClan's?"  
"Maybe," Cinderpelt mused ominously. "Fire could have saved any of the Clans. But I think they got it wrong. Fire only destroyed them."  
Tigerstar was just beginning to contemplate her words when he felt a twinge on the tip of his nose. Then came another little shock on his ear, until little white droplets began to mist on the tops of his paws.

"It's snowing," he whispered, looking up at the gray morning sky. The plump clouds were beginning to spew random spurts of snow down as ThunderClan cats began to look up in wonder. Cinderpelt's eyes stretched, and her fur spiked up in excitement.

"It's an omen!" she exclaimed, leaping to her paws. Tigerstar's tail lifted, looking at her in surprise.

"An omen?" he replied. "For what?"

"For the fire prophecy, silly!" Cinderpelt responded lightly, nudging him with her front paws. Her gaze traveled over to the edge of camp, where Firestar's body was being prepared for burial. He was already coated thickly in snow, dulling his bright ginger pelt. Tigerstar sucked in his breath, and he looked over at Cinderpelt in amazement.

"IceClan beats FireClan," she mused, looking up at the snowy sky. "The fire has finally been extinguished."

 **I tried to make excuses for some loopholes? idk... but anyway, that's the *real* end of Dusk! Thank you to everyone who favorited, reviewed, followed, or even just clicked on this story to give it a try! It really means a lot and I wouldn't have had the encouragement to post these chapters without you guys.**

 **Regarding a sequel, I have the basic ideas for the next one but have no complete plan yet. I think I'll maybe write an OC story while I sort that out (don't worry, I won't finish the entire thing before Pure Evil 2 so I'll likely have two stories at once), but I'll keep you all posted on that when it's coming out! It will be called Pure Evil: Nightfall :)**

 **Thanks again to everyone who read Dusk!  
**

 **~Quinn**


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